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Last year's race was a runaway from the start. This year ... not quite, but perhaps only because the best horse was lame for a couple of furlongs.
Maurice Brooks:
When Andrea Bargnani was selected with the first pick of the 2006 NBA Draft, few, if any, of the so-called “experts” thought that he would be the Rookie of the Year. He has been a solid all-around contributor for the surprising Raptors. The Blazers' Brandon Roy, who has been slowed by injury, may end up winning the award, but at the midpoint, Bargnani has been the best first-year player.
Jeff Dengate:
Had Brandon Roy not missed a quarter of the season, we wouldn't even be having this discussion. Roy, like Chris Paul a year ago, would be a clear-cut favorite for the award. The 6-6 guard leads all first-year players in scoring (14.7 ppg), ranks fifth in rebounding (4.3 rpg), third in assists (3.0 apg) and steals (1.27 spg). You could make a case for others such as Adam Morrison and Andrea Bargnani, but come the end of the season, if Roy remains healthy, the Eddie Gottlieb trophy should be his.
John Hareas:
If he was healthy, Brandon Roy would be runaway ROY frontrunner. Even so, he'll win any way. Just watch.
Dave McMenamin:
There is a big distinction between playing for a bottom feeder and playing for a winner as a rookie. If your team isn't expected to win, there isn't as much pressure on you to perform and you can make your mistakes without much consequence, such is the case of the Blazers' Brandon Roy and the Bobcats' Adam Morrison. Meanwhile, Randy Foye and his 9.1 points per game (including a 25-point gem against the Suns on Jan. 21) are helping the Timberwolves fight for a playoff spot in the West.
Rob Peterson:
Yeah, yeah, Portland's Brandon Roy has missed some time this year, but this kid is the goods. (And five out of seven NBA.commers agree.) You can't deny his talent or his production this season. He leads rookies in points and assists per game (14.7 and 3.0) and is second in rebounds (4.3). He doesn't make the mistakes young guards routinely make. He knows when to pass, when to shoot, he recognizes mismatches and exploits them and most important, when to take over down the stretch. Minnesota's Randy Foye has come on strong as of late, and Toronto's Andrea Bargnani has a wealth of talent, but his GM had to politely suggest to the coach that Il Mago play more. When Roy's on the court for Portland, they're an infinitely better team. No one has had to tell Nate McMillan that.
Chris Rosenbluth:
This is as much a prediction for the remainder of the year as it as a reward for first-half performance. Brandon Roy loses points for missing 20 games – 19 of them in a row – while his fellow froshies were out getting their elbows dirty. But B-Roy gets major props for being the most complete rookie out there, and he's not even 100 percent. And don't think he's not directly responsible for Zach Randolph's career year. When it comes to the Class of 2006, there's Roy and there's everyone else.
John Schuhmann:
I don't care that he's barely played half the games that the other candidates have played. Brandon Roy is better than them all, no questions asked.
-- Check out John's latest Rookie Rankings
