Rookie of the Year

Kyle Ramos

Though Bogdan Bogdanovic has already made a name for himself through his accomplishments in international play, the new Kings guard is joining a talented 2017 NBA rookie class that may have him flying under the radar heading into his first season in the League.

With several impressive recent showings in Eurobasket 2017, however, he may not be under the radar for long.

Bogdanovic’s turning of heads seems to have begun already as Kevin O’Connor, an NBA Staff Writer for The Ringer, recently tweeted about No. 8’s potential as a “dark horse” for the Rookie of the Year award.

Though he has yet to suit up in the NBA, Bogdanovic will be gearing up to open some eyes when he makes his NBA debut in just over a month for the purple and black.

bogdanovic-dark-horse-candidate-for-roty

Bogdanovic Dark Horse Candidate for ROTY?

Colton Gordon

This year’s draft class has been regarded as one of the best in recent years. While it is far too early to know how they’ll pan out, there are a plethora of players who experts predict will do big things throughout their career.

Recently, NBA.com writers weighed in on their picks for Rookie of the Year contention. In addition to lottery selections from this year’s Draft, the 76ers 2016 first-overall pick Ben Simmons will join the race for ROY after missing last season with a foot injury.

Despite Fox being named to only two-of-nine lists, Scott Howard-Cooper speaks to the strength of this batch of youngsters, saying “this could be such a great season for rookies that we could go five names and still be leaving out legit candidates.”

See where Fox was picked and others below:

Who are the early top three candidates for Kia Rookie of the Year?

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De’Aaron Fox Named Early ROY Candidate

After being scouted and evaluated for months leading up to the 2015 NBA Draft, the newest batch of rookies had their chance to assess each other in a recent survey conducted by the NBA.

There was a catch, however, as players were not allowed to vote for themselves, current teammates, or former college teammates in the survey.

Sacramento’s own big man, Willie Cauley-Stein, received votes in several of the categories, most notably being picked by some to win Rookie of the Year and also to have the best overall career out of the entire draft class.

Trill also finished third and fourth, respectively, in the categories of most athletic and best defender.

Kings veteran forward Rudy Gay even received votes in the survey’s final question, which asked participating rookies to name his favorite NBA player.

Check out the complete survey and winners of each category here

willie-earns-peer-praise

Willie Earns Peer Praise

Katie Cracchiolo

The national narrative about the Kings is changing.

The current roster boasts a level of depth and budding star power that the River City has not seen in nearly a decade.

Because of that, some see the Kings making significant strides and possibly ending an 8-year playoff drought, in which Sacramento has yet to finish a season with over 38 wins.

In Huffington Post’s NBA Awards Predictions Blog, Editor of TradesportsInsider.com’s Dan Karpuc believed the Kings could reclaim a spot in the playoffs as well as secure some hardware during the 2014-15 season.

“This may surprise you,” wrote Karpuc, “but I believe the Sacramento Kings will make the NBA playoffs in a tough Western Conference this season.”

On top of that,he made a huge prediction about the Kings second-year Head Coach.

As for All-Stars, he continued by stating “DeMarcus Cousins will establish himself as one of, if not the, best center in the NBA this season.” Predicting No. 15 will also make his first ever All-NBA First Team, joining Russell Westbrook, James Harden, LeBron James and fellow USA teammate Anthony Davis.

To add to the growing potential for success during the upcoming season for the Kings, rookie Nik Stauskas has a chance to snatch up the Rookie of the Year Award according to Jonathan Wasserman of the Bleacher Report.

“Based on projected roles and NBA readiness, the list of standout Rookie of the Year candidates is a short one heading into the 2014-15 season,” wrote Wasserman.

The No. 8 Pick has a lights-out shooting stroke that holds too much value to accumulate time on the bench according to Wasserman. “He’s getting minutes this year, whether it’s behind Ben McLemore, in front of him or alongside him… His strengths as a sniper and ball-mover should translate to immediate contribution.”

Amidst all the prognostications about the team’s upcoming season one thing is certain, the Kings are quickly making their way into the national spotlight.

Rookie of the Year

Bogdanovic Dark Horse Candidate for ROTY?

De’Aaron Fox Named Early ROY Candidate

Willie Earns Peer Praise

Big Things Coming in 2014-15?