Zion Williamson is still the most popular candidate for Rookie of the Year, but the odds for the top five contenders are still very high, ranging from 13:1 to 25:1. What is amazing is that Jr. Michael Porter , who was ranked outside the 20th place with odds of more than 150:1 earlier this week, played 2 and a half preseason games in 3 days. After that, he unexpectedly jumped into the top five odds of being a candidate for the Rookie of the Year. What kind of performance did he complete?
Porter made his debut on Tuesday against the Portland Trail Blazers, playing in the second half of the third quarter, and two days later against the Clippers, he only played in the fourth quarter. He played less than 30 minutes in the two games, and of course there was not enough time to produce good statistics (although his shooting efficiency of 10 of 14 in these two games is commendable), so what is there about him that deserves to be valued by the outside world? Woolen cloth?
A few days ago, the public generally believed that Porter Jr. would never be able to play a complete NBA game (playing more than 25 minutes), at least not in his rookie season, let alone compete for the Best Rookie Award. But what everyone saw in Tuesday's game was a young athlete in excellent physical condition.
Not many players who are 2.08 meters tall can play the role of a small forward, and Porter Jr. did so in high school. If he is destined to be a power forward, he will be ranked behind Millsap and Grant in Denver, and his playing time will most likely be limited to less than 15 minutes. No one can win Rookie of the Year with such a short playing time, but it is obvious that His best choice is to play small forward.
Denver is an elite team, probably the deepest team in the league currently. At the small forward position, there are three players who are considered to have an advantage over Porter Jr. in the new season and can get more playing time. They are the Thunder. El Patton, Juan Hernangomez, Tory Craig. But these three have had some problems recently. If Porter Jr. can surpass one of them, he can seize the starting position at small forward or average more than 20 minutes per game, and eventually surpass these three.
The depth of the 2019 draft does not seem to be deep. Except for the top three, the outside world's expectations for others are not high, which makes it easier for Porter Jr. to break into the top five of the best rookie contenders.
Taking all of this into account, plus the fact that Porter Jr. was so hyped at the start of Game 1, that he looked healthy and hit a nice jumper just seconds after coming out, he's at odds on The leap becomes possible! It is generally believed that Zion Williamson has almost locked up this award in the new season. Unlimited playing time and his status within the Pelicans determine this. But I still remember that in 2017, Embiid performed far better than other rookies, but after his first serious injury, his club decided to protect him. Everyone knows the story behind... Watch this year's Rookie of the Year Award Still out of reach for Porter Jr., even though he is a top-5 contender. But if you want to bet on the Rookie of the Year team now, Porter Jr. seems to be a good choice.
Original text: THE J0KER
Compiler: Andy
