NBA: Favorites For Rookie Of The Year After Ben Simmons Injury
With runaway favorite Ben Simmons sidelined by a foot fracture that will require surgery, who are the new frontrunners for NBA Rookie of the Year?
The Philadelphia 76ers and the NBA alike received heartbreaking news on Friday, September 30. Bob Cooney of The Philadelphia Daily News was the first to report that rookie phenom Ben Simmons suffered a foot fracture that will require surgery.
Per Jeff Goodman of ESPN, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2016 NBA Draft is expected to miss three months of action.
Simmons likely out until December or maybe even January, source told ESPN. Team expected to be cautious with the No. 1 pick. https://t.co/gXdGkM0q15
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) October 1, 2016
Thus, it’s only fair to ask the obvious question: who are the favorites for Rookie of the Year with the clear frontrunner sidelined for three months?
Simmons was drafted at No. 1 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft. As a 6’10” point forward who has bulked up to a reported 250 pounds, Simmons has drawn comparisons to both LeBron James and Magic Johnson.
2015-16 averages of 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.0 steals, and 0.8 blocks certainly offer reason for intrigue.
With Simmons sidelined for three months, however, it stands to reason that he could miss out on his chance to win Rookie of the Year. 76ers general manager Bryan Colangelo has already stated that Philadelphia will not rush him back.
Colangelo even compared Simmons’ situation with that of Joel Embiid, who hasn’t played a single regular season game since he was drafted in 2014.
#Sixers B Colangelo: 'In no way will we rush him back.' Cites Embiid situation.
— Tom Moore (@TomMoorePhilly) October 2, 2016
The question is: who are the new favorites for Rookie of the Year?