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The 2017-18 NBA season has already featured one of the deepest rookie classes in recent history. Although notables like Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball and Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons has taken center stage, there are a slew of other rookies that have made their names known recently such as Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell.
According to Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press, both players have each been named Rookie of the Month for December to represent perspective conferences.
Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Utah’s Donovan Mitchell the NBA’s Eastern and Western Conference rookies of the month for December.
— Brian Mahoney (@briancmahoney) January 4, 2018
Jayson Tatum got his chance with the Celtics early on after the team had to endure a potentially season-ending injuries to star forward Gordan Hayward. During that time he was able to earn the trust of head coach Brad Stevens while establishing an integral role in the Celtics' incredible 16-game win streak.
Tatum has since been a model of consistency this year after averaging 14.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in December. One of the most overlooked aspects of his game is how efficient he has been from deep after shooting 45.1 percent from 3-point land.
Meanwhile, Donovan Mitchell has established himself as perhaps the most electrifying rookie in his class. He was the lone bright spot in an otherwise floundering Jazz team in December, averaging 23.1 points, 3.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per contest. Needless to say, the 13th overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft continues to prove why he has been the biggest steal thus far and Jazz fans have been raving about their prized freshman.
At this point, it's safe to say that Ben Simmons is no longer the runaway leader for the Rookie of the Year award.
