Having won the 2014 NBA Draft Lottery, the Cleveland Cavaliers had obtained the luxury of the ping pong balls bouncing their way by receiving the number one overall pick for the third time in the last four years. However, unlike their previous two number one draft picks, UNLV Power Forward Anthony Bennett, and Duke Point Guard Kyrie Irving, the selection they were about to draft came heavily equipped with expectations, promise and hype that the franchise nor the NBA as a whole hadn’t seen since the Cavaliers last number one pick – Northeast Ohio’s own prodigal son, Lebron James in 2003.
The 2014 NBA Draft Class was headlined by Duke Freshman Jabari Parker and Kansas Freshman Andrew Wiggins. The race for Rookie of the Year was always thought to be a two man race. However, both Parker and Wiggins faced the harsh cruelties and realities of the NBA early in their careers. In Wiggins case, he was dealt from the Cleveland Cavaliers almost instantaneously, before he was even able to log a minute in the Cavaliers wine and gold. Drafted on June 26th, 2014, Wiggins inked with the Cavaliers on July 24th, 2014. Yet, less than a month later, on August 23rd, Wiggins would exchange the wine and gold for the black, silver, green, white and blue of the Minnesota Timberwolves in a trade headlined by the Wolves Kevin Love.
Parker, unlike Wiggins had the luxury of beginning his career with the team that drafted him second overall, the Milwaukee Bucks. Unfortunately for Parker, his season was cut short after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee in a December 15th contest against the Phoenix Suns. Having averaged 12.3 PPG and 5.5 RPG while shooting 49% from the field, Parker had put up better statistics when contrasted with Wiggins prior to his injury. Wiggins posted an average of 9.6 PPG and 3.6 RPG while shooting 41% from the field.
Parker’s injury paved the way for Wiggins to be the clear cut favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award. When adding in Los Angeles Lakers first round pick and dark horse Rookie of the Year candidate Julius Randle’s (drafted seventh overall) injury in the team’s opening contest, Wiggins road became even smoother. Not to mention third overall pick, Joel Embiid having been sidelined (foot) similar to that of the Sixers first-round pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Nerlens Noel.
Speaking of Noel, he hasn’t been too shabby himself. Is Noel, not Wiggins, the 2015 NBA Rookie of the Year?
Wiggins has significantly improved his scoring from the months of November and December as he is now showcasing averages of 15.8 PPG and 4.3 RPG raising his field goal percentage to 43%. Wiggins adversary, Noel isn’t as bonafide a scorer averaging 9.0 PPG along with 7.9 RPG and 1.9 BPG. While Noel boasts impressive Dikembe Mutombo finger wagging rejection numbers (sixth in the league), he posts a dismal 44% field goal percentage, exceptionally low for a big man, and only a percentage point ahead of Wiggins.
Wiggins and Noel have PER’s of 13.25 and 13.58 respectively, near identical numbers. While Wiggins shines as a scorer, Noel’s impact is more heavily felt on the defensive side of the ball as evidenced by his BPG average. Noel is also a nightly threat for a double-double. Despite him only racking up twelve, Noel has fallen mere points and rebounds shy of obtaining a double-double on a host of occasions.
Despite Parker’s injury, Noel has come up as a strong candidate to rival Wiggins for the 2014-2015 NBA Rookie of the Year award. Ironically, Noel’s situation is all too similar to that of Los Angeles Clippers Power Forward, Blake Griffin. Having been sidelined for the entire 2009-2010 campaign, Griffin returned the following year “styling and profiling” as Knicks great Walt “Clyde” Frazier would say, winning the Rookie of the Year award. While Griffin blew away the Rookie competition becoming the third unanimous Rookie of the Year (David Robinson, 1990 and Ralph Sampson, 1984), Noel is in a race that will likely go down to the NBA season’s final buzzer.