All odds according to Pinnacle.
Derrick Favors (+1231)- Favors has the potential to emerge as the best player to come out of this draft. But will he have the best rookie season? It’s hard to tell. Favors just turned 19 in July, so it’s likely that it will take him a year or two to break out. At the same time, Favors should get a fair amount of playing time for a much improved Nets team and will benefit from not being asked to do too much right away. Favors showed the type of player he can be in his final summer league game when he scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Favors has a shot to win the Rookie of the Year award, and it all depends on how quickly he adjusts to the NBA. Expect Favors’ numbers to improve as the year goes on.
Wesley Johnson (+1300)- Wesley Johnson has the talent to make a run at the award, but playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves hurts his chances. It also doesn’t help that the Timberwolves traded away their best player (Al Jefferson) this summer and now have virtually no inside threat. Johnson also missed all but one summer league due to a groin injury. Still, with the best outlet passer in the league in Kevin Love, and one of the leagues quickest point guards in Johnny Flynn, Johnson will see plenty of scoring opportunities in a fast-break offense. With Johnson, playing time could be a factor. The Timberwolves already had Corey Brewer, who had a mini-breakout season last year, and then acquired Martell Webster via trade. All three players primarily play small forward, so Johnson might lose some playing time or spend some time as a shooting guard.
Greg Monroe (+1713) – Greg Monroe ended the summer league with his best performance. In his final game, Monroe scored 27 points and pulled down 14 rebounds. Can Monroe do this every night? No. But Monroe did average 14.6 points and 8.0 rebounds a game in the summer league, and those numbers are more obtainable for the young center. Monroe should see a fair amount of playing time, but will likely split time with veterans Ben Wallace and Chris Wilcox. Monroe could have some trouble finding easy baskets as point guard Rodney Stuckey has never averaged five assists a game for an entire season. For Monroe to have a true shot at the award, he will need to be able to block the ball more frequently than he did in the summer league (just two blocks in five games).
James Anderson (+2680) – The Spurs seem to have a knack for drafting players that contribute right away, so don’t be surprised if Anderson lands a key role in San Antonio. It’s no secret that Anderson can score, averaging over 22 points a game last season at Oklahoma State, but Anderson isn’t as widely known for his rebounding ability (5.8 rebounds per game). It’s unclear what kind of role Anderson will have right away, but given the g age and injury-plagued nature of this team, it’s likely that Anderson will have plenty of opportunities to prove his worth. Anderson did miss the summer league due to injury, but it should not be a major concern heading into the season. Overall, Anderson does offer some value given his ability to score, shoot, steal and rebound.
Great article, Vincent. I do agree with Pinnacles’ odds regarding these players, but all 4 are good players who in theory COULD challenge for the award. The only one of the four I would consider waging on though is Favors.