5 Rookies Who Could Top Anthony Davis (Damian Lillard At 1)


Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE

It is pretty apparent that first overall pick Anthony Davis is the top player in this draft class after dominating college basketball to the tune of a National Championship and a National Player of the Year award in his only year at Kentucky.

He is a rare talent and should be a superstar in this league, and playing on the U.S. Olympic team just puts him further ahead of his fellow rookies. He got the opportunity to practice and play with the best players in the world on a daily basis and was able to learn what it takes to be an NBA star.

He may be the heavy favorite, but there are five players who have a chance to take the title, however unlikely it may seem. Heck, Blake Griffin was the overwhelming favorite in 2009 but Tyreke Evans won the title, even though it was because of injury.

So here it is, the five potential challengers to Davis’ Rookie of the Year honor.

1. Damian Lillard- PG- Portland Trailblazers- 6th Overall Pick

- Lillard was the nation’s second overall scorer and showed elite scoring ability, while dominating the Las Vegas Summer League and winning MVP. He will be the team’s starting point guard and will receive massive playing time. He is also playing on a rebuilding team without great talent outside of Nicolas Batum and LaMarcus Aldridge, so he will be a big part of their offense. He is not yet a great distributor but he should be the leading rookie scorer next year.

2. Michael Kidd Gilchrist- SF- Charlotte Bobcats- 2nd Overall Pick

- MKG is not yet an elite offensive player, but he has elite character, defensive skills, work ethic and intangibles that will make him a difference maker in Charlotte from the first game. He is too hard a competitor not to get his fair share of points. He’s also great at getting to the rim, so it would not be a surprise to see him score somewhere between 13-16 points per game, especially on the offensively challenged Bobcats. He could post a stat line of 14-5-5-2-2, while playing elite defense, and if he does, he will get his fair share of votes.

3. Thomas Robinson- PF- Sacramento Kings- 5th Overall Pick

- Robinson was the most NBA ready offensive big man, but playing with up and coming star center DeMarcus Cousins will hurt, as he will take away a lot of opportunities from Robinson down low, but Robinson is too good not to carve out a big role on the team. He is an elite rebounder and athlete and should put up big-time numbers. If he were playing on a team without another big-time big-man he would probably be first on this list.

4. Austin Rivers- Guard- New Orleans Hornets- 10th Overall Pick

- Anthony Davis’ teammate comes into the league as a combo guard, but the team hopes to turn him into a point guard. The team does not have much at point guard and if he takes to the position well, he could easily become the starter. Regardless, even if he is just a scoring guard off the bench, he is such a great scorer that he will be among the rookie leaders. However if he becomes the starting point guard and puts up big numbers, he has a great chance.

5. Dion Waiters- SG- Cleveland Cavaliers- 4th Overall Pick

- First off, yes Waiters was out of shape and erratic in Summer League, but every year good players struggle in those leagues as they learn to adjust to playing with NBA players. However Waiters is simply an elite offensive prospect, in fact he may be the best pure scorer in this class. Although he was Syracuse’s sixth man in college, he should be their starting shooting guard and he should be given all the chances to succeed.

The only true offensive threat on the Cavaliers besides Waiters is Kyrie Irving, so he should be given the green light to score whenever he wants. If he leads all rookies in scoring, which will be difficult because of the talents of Lillard, he may win this award.