Having two of the top first year players in his team, Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown definitely has reason to believe that the Rookie of the Year Award this season is headed to Philly.
With Joel Embiid and Dario Saric emerging as the favorites to win the prestigious award, the 56-year-old coach recently made it known that he believes the trophy is his players' to lose.
Brett Brown on ROY award, whether Embiid or Saric: "That's our trophy, our award. It comes through Philadelphia."
— Christopher A. Vito (@ChrisVito) April 8, 2017
Despite only playing 31 games this season, Embiid was able to showcase his talents and proved that he was worth the wait. After missing out on the past two years, the 22-year-old Kansas product produced impressive numbers of 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.5 blocks per game. He was also at the top of the rookie ladder before the team announced that he will miss the remainder of the season because of a left knee injury, which opened the door for his teammate to overtake him in the race.
Saric has been having a solid season and held his own in the 76ers' games. He has received an increase in playing time from Brown and has responded positively. Although his averages of 12.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists are lower than Embiid's, it's his consistency and ability to remain healthy that has made him the odds on favorite to be the Rookie of the Year. He has played in all 80 games of the team so far and will likely compete in their final two games as well, which will only strengthen his case and help his head coach's claim to come true.
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