Derrick Williams, Kyrie Irving or Enes Kanter: Who will be NBA Rookie of the Year 2011-12? (Part-1)
It has now been a week since the league opened its doors to the most exciting young collegiate and international talent available in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Kyrie Irving, the Duke guard won the first battle when he landed at Cleveland as the number one pick. Derrick Williams, although more experienced, was roped in by the Minnesota Timberwolves at two. Enes Kanter was picked at three and the rest followed. Now with the draft over, it’s time for these young guns to live up to their reputation and prove that they are really worth the hype.
With the business end of their careers fast approaching, the question arises that which of the young gun will go on to rule the NBA in the very first season and win the coveted Rookie of the year award. Will it be Kyrie Irving, Derrick Williams, Enes Kanter or the just acquired Wolves point guard Ricky Rubio? Let us have a look.
The No 1 pick, Kyrie Irving, is a definite no. The pro did not entirely spend his rookie season playing at Duke and missed a great deal of play there. His toe had been injured due to which Irving remained on the bench for an extended period. This did not allow the scouts to actually witness Irving’s capabilities completely and so his transaction into the NBA is somewhat controversial.
Secondly, the rookie has joined in a team with a line-up already filled up with point guards like Ramon Sessions and Baron Davis. It seems quite obvious the small fish in the big pond would not be getting much time on the floor and will restrict him from gathering large number of stats.
Derrick Williams, on the other hand, seems most likely to be nominated as this year’s rookie. He has had a tremendous collegiate tenure and was the NCAA’s top scorer consistently and managed 67% shooting from the floor in his last season.
With his addition to a side already having Kevin Love, Michael Beasley and Rick Rubio, the future for the twin cities franchise looks bright and it is safe to say that the Wolves’ pack just became fiercer than ever. Williams, along with rookie Ricky Rubio, can give the Minnesota Timberwolves an edge they have been yearning for.
Williams' presence gives the Wolves more depth on the front court and also provides them with a reliable perimeter shooter. In fact, if rumours are to be believed, Williams may even surpass Beasley as a starter at the small forward position. Even if he does not, he is bound to get some quality minutes and as such, he seems to be the strongest candidate for next season’s Rookie of the Year Award.
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