With the 2017-18 NBA season officially in the books, the time has come for heated debates regarding this year's awards. Among the most highly-discussed topics has been which player will take home Rookie of the Year honors between Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons and Utah Jazz shooting guard Donovan Mitchell.
The storyline has now been taken a step further after an interesting back-and-forth between Mitchell and Simmons regarding the true definition of a rookie. However, one Portland Trail Blazers fan was there to remind Mitchell about the task at hand with point guard Damian Lillard, via Bleacher Report:
This fan came prepared for Donovan Mitchell 😂 pic.twitter.com/cL5UfAqkE4
— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) April 12, 2018
The fan's predictions ultimately came true as Portland capped their impressive season with a 102-93 win over Utah at home. To no surprise, Lillard was at the forefront of their success after registering 36 points on 13-of-25 shooting from the field. He also managed to tack on 10 assists and a steal to help secure the third seed in the Western Conference Playoffs.
Despite the fan's passion, it should be noted that Lillard has been one of Mitchell's biggest fans all season long. The three-time All-Star had even already expressed his prediction that the promising guard will take home Rookie of the Year honors.
It goes without saying that both Mitchell and Simmons both make a strong case for the Rookie of the Year award. Not only have they enjoyed record-setting individual performances this season, they have also managed to lead their perspective teams to a high seed in the postseason. That said, it will be interesting to see how the decision ultimately plays out so the debate can finally be put to rest.