NBA: Projecting Top 2015-16 Rookie Of The Year Threats

By Jake Hyman | Jul 3, 2015

Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; D'Angelo Russell (Ohio State) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number two overall pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

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Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Jahlil Okafor (Duke) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number three overall pick to the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

We’re in the thick of free agency, but superstars joining new teams also formulated through the 2015 NBA Draft. Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, and Jahlil Okafor, among others, added to talent stricken organizations and look to win hardware early in their careers.

The race for Rookie of the Year in 2014 had Andrew Wiggins dominate and eventually pull far ahead late in the season. The unanimous choice for the award, Wiggins was also the only player selected in the first 10 picks of the 2014 NBA Draft on the All-Rookie First Team.

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The theme should change. Plenty of contenders exist in the first few picks of the draft and few will go down early with injuries that derailed the chances of promising talents early last season.

All players on the list were selected in the first seven picks of the draft and have a realistic shot due to ample amounts of playing time and usage for emerging organizations.

With projected statistics for their rookie seasons and a projection to analyze the final rankings, here are the top five contenders for the prestigious accolade.

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