NBA rookies don’t think Lonzo Ball or Markelle Fultz will win Rookie of the Year, and that might actually be a good thing for both of them. The NBA released its annual rookie survey and, while it’s not always accurate, it does provide some insight on what the NBA Draft class thinks of their peers.
One surprise from the survey, which was taken during the rookie photo shoot earlier in the month, is that Dennis Smith Jr. was picked as the favorite for Rookie of the Year over both Ball and Fultz. Smith Jr. took 25.7 percent of the vote, while Ball finished second with 20 percent and Fultz finished third with 17.1 percent.
Perhaps that MVP vote is tied to Smith Jr.’s athleticism, as he won that question with 43.6 percent of hthe vote. It’s a nice gesture, but that doesn’t always translate into actually winning the award. Just once in the 9-year history of the survey have they correctly predicted the MVP — in 2007 when Kevin Durant won with the Sonics.
Ball did receive the most votes in two categories. He was tied with Boston rookie Jayson Tatum in the “Which rookie will have the best career?” question, with each payer taking home 18.4 percent of the votes. He was also the overwhelming pick for “best playmaker,” with 71.8 percent of the vote.
The rookies were also asked who their favorite player was, and just like the pros, they picked LeBron James. See? Everyone really does want to play with LeBron. Except Kyrie Irving.
