Self-explanatory. You've got Ben Gordon putting on ridiculous clutch displays in Chicago, Emeka Okafor posting solid numbers for the overachieving Bobcats, and then there's always Dwight Howard playing good ball in Orlando. Who do you pick? I'm going with Gordon; I don't think the Bulls could be battling for homecourt in playoffs without him.
Gordon may not be the most talented, but he should win hands-down. First and foremost, he is playing on a playoff team, and is a big part of that team. Beyond that, though, he has been able to perfectly adapt to his role as a rookie, which is rare, and may even be the 6th man of the year. At 15-55, the Bobcats, expansion team or no, really aren't overachieving. Though it is hard to look past the fact that both Emeka and Dwight are putting up double-doubles, the rookie that win generally are on the winning teams.
I'm leaning to Howard, since he's contributing a double double on a fringe playoff squad. Factor in that Okafur is getting his on a team with relatively no other options, and I give the nod to Howard between those two. Emeka Okafor - 14.9 and 10.6 Dwight Howard - 11.2 and 10.1 BUT - Okafor gets his off of 14 shots a game, while Howard is getting under 8. Big difference in efficiency. To elaborate, if you assume Howard can keep that same efficiency and give him 11 shots compared to Okafur's 14, Howard would outscore him. Here's my problem with Gordon: he's a one dimensional scorer, and only gets 24 mins a game because of that fact. That's awfully limited in my eyes. He's a blistering scorer, but there's a very real reason why such a scoring dynamo isn't starting over Duhon. Of course, Gordon is the trendy pick and a lot of people stop looking after points per game. Evan
ROY usually goes to the guy with the best numbers regardless of how good his team is, I'd guess it goes to Okafur, but if I got to pick I'd give it to Ben Gordon. Okafur - 35.6 minutes, 14.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.8 blocks Howard - 32.3 minutes, 11.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.6 blocks Gordon - 24.1 minutes, 15.2 points, 1.9 assists, .6 steals Well, Gordon's numbers are pretty nice and they'll get better as the season goes along so maybe he does win it based on his numbers. Maybe Co-Rookie of the year?
Wow, some great players to choose from this year. It's got to go to either Gordon or Howard. If us Rocket fans learned anything from the Yao v. Amare ROY race, it's that the player on the best team usually wins...Gordon will probably get the award.
One-dimensional or not, I still think he deserves the award. You can actually pinpoint a number of games the Bulls would have lost without Gordon specifically, without getting into his general role as 6th man, last night being a good example. Plus, 15 points in 24 minutes is impressive, and though he doesn't set any blistering assist or rebound numbers, considering his role on a pretty talented squad, he is playing it to perfection.
His shooting percentages are nice, his PPG will go up, basically his scoring statistics are outstanding.
Someone who doesn't start shouldn't even be considered. Okafor is the best rookie, hands down. So in other words, other teams focus on Okafor because he's all Charlotte has, and he still puts up a double-double, while Howard feeds off scraps from Hill, Francis, etc. It's not as simple as just giving the other guy more shots. EDIT: Actually, 44 percent is quite low for a post man, didn't realize he was down in that range. I still take Okafor, but not by as wide a margin.
Bad logic. Most 6th man of the year candidates are better than some of the starters on their teams. Plus, Gordon doesn't start, but he gets decent minutes and, more importantly, he finishes. Again, the Bulls are good, the Bobcats and Tragic aren't. And the Bulls success is definitely dependent on Gordon's play. Put Gordon on the Bobcats, he'd be starting and scoring 20 pts per game. EDIT: Plus, Gordon can be relied on to hit free throws when the game is on the line. OKafor and Howard can't.
I'd have to give it to Ben Gordon just because of his clutch performances. This guy has become one of the best closers in the game, as a rookie. The Bulls are one of the best fourth quarter teams in the league largely because of Ben Gordon. One dimensional or not, he gives you wins, which is the most important statistic at the end of the day. OKafor is the best overall player in the rookie class right now, and Howard will be the best in the future. However, for this year, the ROY goes to Ben Gordon.
I pick Gordon but i think okafor is in 2nd place and very close to gordon, howard is in third but far away of the two places
No, we stop looking after the part that says "39 and 31." Gordon LEADS THE NBA in fourth quarter scoring. He's the best. Howard and Emeka have nice stats, but they're not the best at anything. Without Ben, the Bulls are a 19 win team right now -- ask any fan, he takes this team on his shoulders nightly. Without Emeka the Bobcats are, what, a 12-win team? Weren't they that already?
I give it to Okafor. He's stepped into the league and is a top 5 rebounder. It says something that Duhon AND Deng are averaging more minutes than Gordon as a rookie on the same team. Gordon's a dynamo scorer, but the sub 2 assists and an assist:turnover ratio below 1 is just not acceptable for a guard. Having a greater 3P% than FG% is just odd. Jay- You're going to compare FT shooting between big men and a guard? Should I come back with Okafor and Howard can be relied on to get the big rebound in traffic, and Gordon can't? Gordon is actually behind fellow rookie Luol Deng on the team in plus-minus. I'd put Gordon ahead of Howard, but not Okafor. I must say I'm jealous of the Bulls' bench. Deng, Gordon, and Chandler. Just not fair.
Speaking of Deng, he gets surprisingly little pub for a guy putting up a solid 11-5-2, plus a decent shooting percentage. I know his defense is pretty awful, but it's gotten better.
24 minutes a game isn't decent, unless you come off the bench. When talking about Rookie of the Year, it's not enough. The team being good doesn't matter either. This isn't the MVP race. Expansion teams aren't supposed to be good anyway. What matters is who the better player is. Put Gordon on Charlotte and he wouldn't be their best player, Okafor is. Here's the most compelling stat to me on Okafor: Double-Doubles 1. Kevin Garnett 2. Shawn Marion 3. Steve Nash 4. Tim Duncan 5. Shaquille O'Neal 6. Emeka Okafor
Gordon. A rookie that is the best fourth quarter scorer in the NBA. That is insane. Numbers are important but the ability to play in the clutch really seperates players. I wish Skiles would start the kid.
