Who Should Be The 2009 NBA Rookie of the Year? Weighing in With Early Picks, Part I

- The Season's Over -

Who Should Be The 2009 NBA Rookie of the Year? Weighing in With Early Picks, Part I

March 9, 2009

O.J. Mayo Photo Credit: Icon SMI

For most of the season it looked like a two-horse race for the honor of being named the 2009 NBA Rookie of the Year, but a few darkhorse candidates have since emerged and muscled their way into contention as we head into the final month of the regular season.

And that’s the key thing to remember as you check out both of our picks for the top five rookies and Rookie of the Year–there are still a lot of games to be played, and things could change. But while we’re stamping our thoughts that follow with an asteriked caveat, we’re also comfortable calling the race now and declaring the winner and runner-ups.

The runner-ups are listed in no particular order, and all per-game averages were accurate as of March 9. Let’s get to it.

Brian’s Top Five 2009 NBA Rookies:

Derrick Rose, PG, Chicago Bulls
O.J. Mayo, G, Memphis Grizzlies
Brook Lopez, C, New Jersey Nets
Eric Gordon, G, Los Angeles Clippers
Rookie of the Year: Russell Westbrook, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder

	Minutes	Points	Boards	Assists	FG%	Steals	Blocks	TOs	FT%	Triples
Russell Westbrook	32:23	15.9	4.8	5.1	40.4%	1.4	0.2	3.3	82%	0.5
Derrick Rose	36:30	16.6	3.6	6.3	46.9%	0.8	0.2	2.5	79%	0.2
O.J. Mayo	37:53	19.1	4.1	2.9	43.7%	1.1	0.2	2.7	87.8%	1.8
Brook Lopez	30:06	12.5	8.1	0.9	52.2%	0.5	1.9	1.8	81.9%	0.0
Eric Gordon	33:12	15.5	2.5	2.7	45%	1.0	0.5	2.0	86%	1.7

I had Derrick Rose penciled in as my pick up until the past month or so, but Russell Westbrook (he who giveth and taketh away) has turned a lot of heads as the season has worn on and been a major factor in helping transform the young Thunder from a pushover into a team capable of beating anybody who dares take them lightly.

The two-time Western Conference Rookie of the Month has been nothing short of spectacular since the calendar flipped to ‘09, averaging 18.2 points, 6 assists, 5.7 boards, and 1.3 steals over his last 29 games. He continues to struggle from the field, but that 40% FG doesn’t worry me too much; I expect him to get that up to at least 44% or so in his sophomore season. (Don’t forget last year’s ROY, teammate Kevin Durant, shot 43% on the year–and that he’s upped it to 48% this season.)

The low field-goal percentage has been one of the few chinks in Westbrook’s armor. The impact he’s had on the Thunder’s perilously thin backcourt simply cannot be underestimated. Along with the defensively minded and multi-talented Thabo Sefolosha, who’s looking like a good fit next to him as the team’s starting SG, Westbrook has brought stability, hope, and excitement to a team who was looking to guys like Earl Watson and Damien Wilkins in the season’s early going. Together with Durant and Jeff Green, Westbrook has established himself as a key member of the core that will lead this team back into relevancy–and he won’t turn 21 years old until November.

As for my other picks, Mayo and Rose were obviously easy ones: both have the look of franchise cornerstones written all over them. Lopez has flown somewhat under the radar this season on the blah Nets, but the 20-year-old seven-footer has proven to be a consistent, steady force in the middle who could finish the season with a double-double average. He’s currently tied for fifth overall in the NBA in blocked shots with 1.9 per.

Eric Gordon, yet another 20-year-old on this list, just might be the best scorer of the bunch. This kid has had some monster nights in his rookie season, including five games in which he’s put up at least 30 points. That he’s doing it at such reasonable percentages this early in his career is just scary. On a team with well-known vets like Baron Davis, Marcus Camby, and Zach Randolph, Gordon is the one Clipper who’s giving max effort every night.