Lillard expected to win ROY honors over Davis
Despite seeing its former players go first and second in last summer’s NBA Draft, it appears the University of Kentucky will not get its paws on the 2012-13 NBA Kia Rookie of the Year award.
Portland’s Damian Lillard is expected to take home the Eddie Gottlieb trophy when its winner is announced by the NBA later today. Lillard, the No. 6 pick in the 2012 draft, is only the fourth rookie in the history of the league to average 19 points and six assists per game. He played in all 82 games for the Trailblazers this season.
Anthony Davis will likely finish as runner-up to Lillard and would’ve had a bigger presence in the discussion if he had been healthy. Davis missed 22-percent of his rookie campaign in New Orleans, 18 games, due to a variety injuries. He finished the season with averages of 13.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks.
Lillard is the clear cut winner, however, and was the league’s best newcomer since Day 1. He’s very deserving of the award and has a very bright future ahead.
A.D. can’t win everything, I guess.
11 Comments for Lillard expected to win ROY honors over Davis
This truly has been the WORST year I can ever remember.
1- Anyone who feels like this has been the worst year ever, can take solace in knowing that it isn’t nearly as bad as the year in which you die. THAT year is REALLY going to suck.
Davis deserves the MVP. What a great player he is. He did so much even while he got hurt.
3)Well with that argument…
Though Lillard clearly had more of a visible/tangible impact this year, Davis quietly had a phenomenal year. Davis’ PER of 21.8 greatly exceeds Lillard’s 16.6 and his win share is twice as high. Despite logging 1,000 less minutes than Lillard, Davis also has a higher Value Added and Estimated Wins Added. These advanced metrics give a look into how efficient each guy was on the court, not just their overall stats. Though Lillard is clearly deserving of the award, Davis had an amazingly efficient season and his future looks wildly promising.
If Davis can stay healthy I believe he can be better than Dwight Howard. Just looking at the above pic you can see how wide his frame is and the potential he has to add size. Once puts on some lbs and can put together a full a season I think he will be one of the best players in the league. As #5 alluded to he’s already uber efficient.
5) Now THAT’S an argument.
5 hit the nail on the head. Davis is much more efficient than Lillard, but the fact that Lillard played so much this year there’s no way he cannot be given the award. Based on the fact that Davis is SO efficient, I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility for him to land an MVP or 2. When both KG and Duncan won their MVPs they averaged a little over 20 PPG, around 13 boards, 3 blocks, and between 3-5 APG. I think AD can obtain these numbers in a full season if he can stay healthy and fill his frame out as 6 pointed out.
Using the Bill Simmons Trade Value theory, if Portland calls New Orleans proposing a Lillard-for-Davis straight up trade (adjusted with cash to meet salary-cap requirements), who says no? Answer: New Orleans hangs up without thinking twice.
Lillard deserves the ROY award, but Anthony Davis, barring injury, will be a top 10 frontcourt player for the next 10+ years.
What about my argument? Oh, that’s right I don’t have one.
Why is the rookie of the year trophy named after Doug Gottlieb? Did he even play in the NBA?