While the top overall pick in last summer’s NBA Draft will have to wait until next season to make his pro debut, there are still plenty of rookie standouts in this year’s class of first-year performers. With the absence of Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin, the battle for NBA Rookie of the Year honors is an intriguing one as the second half of the season approaches. Here’s a look at three of the top candidates for the award:
Sacramento Kings Guard Tyreke Evans: 1/5 Odds
The fourth overall pick in the draft has stepped up for the Sacramento Kings to offset the loss of the squad’s top player for most of the season. With Kevin Martin out of the lineup for 32 games, Evans has emerged to lead all rookies in scoring with over 20 points per game. After spending just one year at college with the Memphis Tigers, he has been able to quickly adapt his game to the pro level. Evans is also averaging five points and rebounds per game for the Kings. While Evans is the favorite at the halfway mark of the season, his scoring numbers could go down with Martin’s return in the second half of the year.
Milwaukee Bucks Guard Brandon Jennings: +130 Odds
After bypassing college for a year of professional basketball in Italy, Jennings was a bit of a question mark after being the tenth pick in the NBA Draft. He silenced most of the doubters with a 55-point contest against Golden State in his seventh game for the Bucks in November. While Jennings is second in scoring among rookies with 18 points per game, his numbers have regressed from the first month of the season. He is shooting less than 39 percent from the field. To overtake Evans, Jennings will likely need to get Milwaukee into the playoffs in the weak Eastern Conference. However, the loss of franchise player Michael Redd for the rest of the season will make it difficult for the Bucks to reach the postseason.
Minnesota Timberwolves Guard Jonny Flynn: +1500 Odds
Flynn was tabbed by the Timberwolves with the sixth pick in the draft after starring for the Syracuse Orangemen for two seasons. He has averaged 14 points per contest for a young Minnesota squad. Like Jennings, Flynn has also seen his numbers fall a little since the first month of the season. He is shooting 41 percent from the field while connecting on over 81 percent of his free throw tries. With an 8-33 record in the first half of the year, the Timberwolves are heading for the draft lottery again. The struggles of his team will make it difficult for Flynn to overtake Evans and Jennings in the second half of the season.
Here are the odds for some of the other NBA rookie of the year odds contenders:
About Ryan Nox
