Opinion: It's Time to Streamline The Rookie Of The Year Award

The Rookie Of the Year award is one that comes with expectations. It functions in a dual-purpose capacity, acknowledging both what has been shown, and what is yet to be shown.

Of course, that doesn't mean it always works out that way. Tyreke Evans, who won the award in 2010, averaged over 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists in his debut campaign, leading most of the NBA in awe of his Michael Jordan/LeBron James all-aroundedness.

Even the sky was too low a limit for Evans, as he would surely develop into a top-tier superstar, earning MVPs and championships by the truckload.

Evans, as it turned out, spent the next three seasons regressing in virtually every major statistical category, eventually getting traded to New Orleans in a sign-and-trade deal for a package that, frankly, isn't even worth bringing up.

The Evans example is why, in part, our mentality should change regarding the award. Instead of including future possible success into our considerations, we should take a step back and accept the award for what it truly is: A one-time handshake to the player who landed on his feet the best during his debut season.

That also means stripping away playoff qualifications, and overall winning components, which seemingly has become a bigger argument for voters in recent years.

Winning is team-oriented, and while the best rookie should always be an asset to that endeavor, most end up on teams that are years away from being competitive. Is it fair to expect Jabari Smith to play playoff basketball next April, when most of the veterans alongside him are just a few years removed from high school?

Rookie Of the Year has to be a snapshot of that particular season, and nothing more. Loading the award with more than what it is will eventually cost a deserving winner the trophy.

Take my top two candidates for the award, for example.

Keegan Murray, my favorite, and Bennedict Mathurin, my favorite for runner-up.

Long-term, I believe someone like Jaden Ivey to be much superior to Mathurin, and I'm certainly open to the possibility he will be superior to Murray too, but that won't factor into my evaluation of this season, as future success is something else entirely.

(If you want to read more about my faith in Murray, hit this link.)

Murray and Mathurin could simply land on their feet the best, which is what matters. And, for what it's worth, FanDuel seems to also believe both have decent odds of a strong debut season.

Inevitably, people will use the Kings as an argument against Murray's rookie campaign, if they fail to make the postseason. But is that fair take, when the Kings, as an organization, have failed to make the playoffs in 16 straight seasons?

Even if said rookie was Zion Williamson or Luka Dončić (sorry again, Kings fans) there is no telling what productivity looks like elsewhere on the roster, meaning rookies shouldn't have to fall on that sword.

Let's go back to Evans and his impressive 20/5/5 year.

The Kings won just 25 games, made a huge mid-season trade that saw them swap out Kevin Martin for Carl Landry, and the two most consistent players around Evans all year were... Beno Udrih and Jason Thompson.

Voters were absolutely right to give it to Evans!

Even if he fell off the map not long after, he was still a rookie who came in and immediately was the best player on an NBA team, performing at a high level every single night.

It could not, in any way, shape or form, be his responsibility to pull that sorry excuse of a roster to the postseason singlehandedly.

So, now you might be thinking "Okay, but what does it constitute to land best on one's feet?"

That is indeed a fair question, and it's an area where there is room for several interpretations. Some might lean raw numbers, some might lean advanced, and maybe there's a group that goes all-in on the eye test.

Frankly, whatever is decided there doesn't matter, as long as the player is being evaluated in the vacuum of his own performance for that particular season.

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