New York Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis has surprisingly been one of the team's best players this season, and has emerged as the Rookie of the Year favorite. While many expect Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns or Sixers center Jahlil Okafor to win the award, Porzingis has thrown himself in that mix. Here are three reasons why he will win Rookie of the Year this season:
3) Exceeding expectations
Let's be honest - most people did NOT have high expectations for Porzingis this year. Remember, he was booed heavily on draft night. Even his most optimistic supporters thought he was a few years away from being a real impact player. Obviously, that has been anything but the case.
Porzingis is averaging a solid 12.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, but he seems so much more like a star because of how he's played in comparison to what was expected of him. Towns and Okafor may put up better stats than him, but the buzz surrounding Porzingis could put him ahead of both.
2) Playoff contending team
New York looks like they're going to be contending for one of the bottom seeds in the Eastern Conference playoffs, meaning Porzingis will be playing in more competitive, high-profile games than his competitors. Towns, Okafor, and even Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay probably won't even sniff the playoff race, dimishing the impact of their performances.
1) Highlight plays
We may think that all two points count the same, but they don't. A highlight putback dunk sticks out more in the minds of voters and fans alike more than a solid pull-up jumper, something that's already turned GODZINGIS!!! bombs into a phenomenon:
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