The NBA announced rookies Joel Embiid and Dario Saric of the Philadelphia 76ers along with Malcolm Brogdon of the Milwaukee Bucks as the finalists for this season's Rookie of the Year award.

Embiid was the all-around rookie darling from the start, a hefty 7-footer with rare big man skills, range, and an undeniable charisma to boot. Through limited minutes, he still averaged 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game, despite playing only 30 games this season due to sitting out back-to-backs and a season-ending injury.

Saric picked up where Embiid left off, showing his versatility from the perimeter and his flashy passing skills after the Sixers' center was forced to watch from the bench.

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The Croatian dynamo averaged 12.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while shooting 78.2 percent from the stripe.

Brogdon was a late starter, but made the most of his floor time, capitalizing on an injury to starting point guard Matthew Dellavedova and giving his team all-around contributions as a temporary starter. His well-rounded numbers made him a sure-fire choice in coach Jason Kidd‘s everyday lineup until shooting guard Khris Middleton returned to action.

The Virginia standout averaged 10.2 points, 4.2 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game through 26.4 minutes on the floor.