SALT LAKE CITY — There’s a debate underway surrounding the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, with the Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell and the 76ers’ Ben Simmons in the middle of it.
Both candidates present such compelling cases that the argument has really settled on one question: Is Simmons really a rookie?
Simmons, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft, missed all of his first (rookie) season with a foot injury. For this reason, the NBA considers him a rookie, and there is precedence for this. Blake Griffin won the award in 2010-11 after missing his first rookie) season with an injury.