NBA Rookie of the Year: The coronation of Karl-Anthony Towns, and our All-Rookie team picks

No real mystery behind who the NBA Rookie of the Year will be. What other rookies deserve plaudits?

Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns celebrates after hitting the game-winning shot in an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers in Portland, Ore., Saturday, April 9, 2016. The Timberwolves won 106-105. (AP Photo/Steve Dykes)
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With the NBA play-offs just about here, The National’s resident American sports bros Kevin Jeffers and Jonathan Raymond talk about who they think should win the NBA’s biggest awards.

Today, there’s only one choice for Rookie of the Year ...

JR

Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves is the Rookie of the Year.

Hey that was easy!

That’s not very much content, though. So let’s make some content. Let’s talk some rookies. Who are some good rookies? Who are some bad rookies?

But first, let’s talk about how awesome Karl-Anthony Towns is (really awesome).

Tell us about Karl-Anthony Towns, Kevin.

KJ

It’s almost unfair to the rest of a very solid rookie class, but Towns is just too good. He’ll win in a wash.

He has played and started all 81 of Minnesota’s games. He’s been Rookie of the Month five (5) times. He’s top ten in the league in offensive and defensive rebounds, blocks, field goal percentage and has scored the third most two-point field goals. He’s already a top-20 player, one of the league’s most efficient scorers, and is a better defender than I thought he’d be this early.

His team stinks, but when they get a real coach and decide what type of big man to pair with Towns, the Timberwolves are going to be a long-time threat in the West.

So like with the MVP, the question is who even finishes second in Rookie of the Year? Is it still Kristaps Porzingis, or has the Knicks’ collapse washed all that early-season sheen away?

JR

Porzingis is still a fantastic talent, whose growth will be compelling to follow, and he’s had a very good season and belongs in this conversation. I don’t necessarily think the Knicks being, well, the Knicks, takes all that much off his shine. He’s had a great past couple weeks.

Acknowledging all that, I’m partial to Nikola Jokic.

He's an advanced-analytics darling, defensive metrics love his game, his rim protection numbers (49.3 per cent against at the rim) are pretty good, his three-point shot is developing (about 33.0 per cent) and he's kind of a joyous passing wizard to watch.

Here are some other metrics I helpfully got from this supportive video on the Nuggets website: Jokic ranks top-10 among rookies in points (8), assists (7), rebounds (4), steals (3), blocks (9), field goal percentage (5) and double-doubles (3).

I love Jokic’s game. I think he’s a future star. Who else you like?

KJ

All three of those big men — Towns, Jokic and Porzingis — should all be on the All-Rookie first team, which doesn’t take position into account.

In fact, it’s been a really loaded rookie class as far as big men go. Lost in the shuffle, No. 3 pick Jahlil Okafor has put up solid offensive numbers in 53 games, with his 17.5 points per game second (behind Towns) among all rookies.

That said, I don’t think Okafor will make the first team. Just going by numbers, Emmanuel Mudiay has probably done enough to join Denver teammate Jokic on the first team, which leaves one more spot for either D’Angelo Russell, Justise Winslow. Devin Booker, Stanley Johnson, or even a fourth big man like Myles Turner or Willey Cauley-Stein.

I’d go with Booker, who has really stepped up for Phoenix in Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe’s absence. He’s really the only bright spot for the Suns this year.

Second team, I’d go with Okafor, Russell, Turner, Cauley-Stein and Winslow. Those are two pretty solid teams compared to the last few years.

JR

I’ve really liked what Cauley-Stein has done this year. He’s flashed a more nuanced offensive game than you would think, and his defence is as advertised. There was a moment there that I really did think he and DeMarcus Cousins had Sacramento poised to make a surprise play-off run.

And I think I’m with Booker. His advanced numbers are really iffy, but every time I watch him play I’m impressed.

Russell has had a very, very weird season, so I think yeah, we toss him onto the second team and then agree to forget like 90 per cent of his rookie year.

I’m trying to talk myself into Mudiay. There’s an interesting skill-set in there, but his analytics are just so bad. I look at Okafor a little the same way.

Risking centre-fatigue, I think I’d go Cauley-Stein and Booker as my last two in there.

Someone we haven’t talked about, but who might would also deserve a second-team shout-out, is Charlotte’s Frank Kaminsky. Another centre! Yay for centres.

KJ

And let’s not forget that this was ostensibly Jabari Parker’s rookie season, too, after missing almost all of his real rookie year while injured. He’d be a first-team lock.

To wrap it up, is there a guy not named Towns, Okafor or Porzingis who you think will prove to be better than his rookie year showed? A guy with All-NBA potential?

My guy is Winslow in Miami. He has Kawhi Leonard written all over him if he gets that outside shot down. The stroke, the size – it’s all there, and he’s a defensive force on the perimeter. I see many All-Star teams in his future.

JR

I agree about Winslow. There’s an elite player to be made out of him.

Besides Jokic, as far as star potential is concerned, I felt like there was some James Harden upside to Russell’s offensive game before the Draft, and I’m not writing him off yet.

Going off the board a bit, I’m a fan of the ‘yles – Myles Turner and Trey Lyles – and did you know Josh Richardson is shooting 48 per cent from three for Miami? That’s weird. Maybe he’ll be really good!

KJ

Miami is good at getting good players. It’s annoying.

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