NBA: The 25 worst players to ever win Rookie of the Year

NBA: The 25 worst players to ever win Rookie of the Year: 23. Brandon Roy

Brandon Roy’s place on this list comes for the opposite reason of Terry Cummings, ranked just below him. Cummings played nearly 1200 games at a sub-elite level, with a strong start and longevity keeping him to the bottom of this list. Roy is here for the reverse reason: he was one of the league’s best players by his second season, but severe injuries ended his career prematurely and kept him from improving himself further.

The first few years were transcendent. Roy was taken sixth overall in the 2006 NBA Draft and immediately became the lead wing on a Portland Trail Blazers team led by Zach Randolph on the block. He averaged 16.8 points per game as a rookie, then, with Randolph gone the following year, increased that to 19.1 points as he earned his first All-Star berth. He would make three teams total and two All-NBA teams.

Roy’s knees did not hold up after that, resulting in multiple surgeries and ultimately just 326 games total across five seasons. Roy fought back the end of his career one last time in the 2011 playoffs, with a memorable 18-point fourth quarter in Game 4 of the Western Conference playoffs. He would play just five games total after that season.

Roy was the obvious choice for Rookie of the Year, totaling 127 of the 128 first-place votes. He was joined on the All-Rookie first team by teammate LaMarcus Aldridge, who went on to have a better and longer career. The same could be said for Paul Millsap, who finished second to Roy in win shares that year. Second-team selection Rajon Rondo didn’t look like a future Hall of Fame point guard as a rookie but has a decent shot at making it when he retires.