It is not a secret that thus far Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons has had an incredible rookie season. You can start by looking at his ridiculous stat line: 16.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.9 steals on 52.7 percent shooting. Hard to say what is more impressive: the fact that he does all that standing at 6-foot-10, that he plays like this immediately after missing a full season recovering from a Jones fracture, or that he is doing it in his first year as a pro. But eye-test and statistics are not the only proofs that suggest Simmons is a Rookie of the Year frontrunner.
As noted by Keith Pompey from The Philadelphia Daily News, Las Vegas also favors the 21-year-old's chances. The updated Rookie of the Year odds shows Ben Simmons as the clear leader (-250, 2/5) for the award. The full 2018 NBA Awards show will be held on June 25th at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California.
In second place is Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (+170, 17/10). Mitchell averages 19.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from deep range. While Mitchell did not start the year as strong as Simmons, he has recently caught up with the Australian-born point forward in the Rookie of the Year race. A convincing stretch to close the season out or even a playoffs appearance from either's team could be a deciding factor that determines the winner.
Still and without a doubt, Simmons has been the best all-around rookie this season. With his only weakness being a lack of accuracy with his jump shot — especially from behind the three-point line — he has excelled in most other areas. Courtesy of NBA TV, take a look at the following graphic. It shows Simmons' stats before the All-Star break and how they compare to other rookies:
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