August 30, 2016
Sure, the headline is a little clickbaitish (yeah, not a word), but at least in terms of judging on-court ability, it’s also not untrue.
A few weeks ago, 38 members of the 2016 draft class got together for the annual Rookie Photo Shoot at the Knicks' practice facility in Greenburgh, New York. In between photographs, they took a poll for NBA.com that mostly focused on the rookie class as a whole. And the No. 1 overall pick didn’t fare as well as one might expect.
Ben Simmons was edged out by Kris Dunn and Brandon Ingram in Rookie of the Year predictions, and the newest Sixer fared even worse in the all-important question:
Which rookie will have the best career?
1. Brandon Ingram, L.A. Lakers -- 26.7% 2. Kris Dunn, Minnesota -- 16.7% 3. Buddy Hield, New Orleans -- 13.3% T-4. Dragan Bender, Phoenix -- 6.7%, Jaylen Brown, Boston -- 6.7%, Jamal Murray, Denver -- 6.7%, Ben Simmons, Philadelphia -- 6.7%
So, does any of this matter? Not really.
(But thank you for the content in late August, NBA.com.)
The rookies have actually been poor prognosticators the last two seasons, tabbing Jabari Parker and Jahlil Okafor to win the last two rookie of the year awards, respectively. As we’ve learned the hard way in Philadelphia recently, the ROY award isn’t necessarily always the best indicator of future success.
When it comes to trying to prove his peers wrong, Simmons should have his eyes focused on the long game.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
