NBA: Top 10 candidates for Rookie of the Year Award in 2017-18

4. Markelle Fultz

Now we arrive at the heavy-hitters. It might be a bit of a surprise to see the No. 1 pick of the 2017 NBA Draft as low as No. 4, but the truth is a healthy Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid will probably steal some of the thunder from his rookie campaign.

Simmons sat out what should’ve been his entire rookie season due to injury, while “The Process” has only played 31 games in his first three years in the league. With the Philadelphia 76ers‘ focus being on Embiid’s unbelievable talent and Simmons’ duties as point forward, Fultz might not get as much opportunity to shine as your normal first overall pick would.

However, we certainly can’t exclude his elite scoring potential from the top five. In two Summer League appearances in Salt Lake City, Fultz posted 20.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game on 46.9 percent shooting.

After putting up 23.2 points, 5.9 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game on .476/.413/.649 shooting splits in his lone season at Washington, it’s clear the sky is the limit for Fultz. The question is whether playing off the ball in his first NBA season will hinder his Rookie of the Year chances.