The Philadelphia 76ers have selected first overall in each of the last two NBA Drafts. Those two first overall picks, Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz, will be among the top candidates to win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award this season.
NBA Rookie of the Year odds: Sixers Simmons, Fultz behind Ball on betting lines
The Sixers will be looking for strong rookie campaigns from Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz, who trail only the Lakers’ Lonzo Ball on the ROY betting lines.
James Lang-USA TODAY Sports
Ben Simmons is going off at +300 on the NBA Rookie of the Year odds while Markelle Fultz is going off at +550 at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Simmons averaged 19.2 points per game and 11.8 rebounds per game in his one season at LSU, earning No. 1 rankings as the top power forward prospect and the top overall prospect coming into the 2016 NBA Draft. A foot injury suffered in camp deprived Simmons of his rookie season last year, but he is now set to make his much-anticipated NBA debut this season.
Simmons will share the spotlight with Fultz, who is being billed as one of the most NBA-ready prospects to enter the draft in years. The 76ers traded up from the third overall spot to select Fultz first, adding a potentially elite point guard to compliment their talented young front court. Despite playing for a terrible Washington Huskies team last season, Fultz averaged 23.2 points per game and did nothing to deter scouts from putting him at the top of their boards.
While Simmons and Fultz will run the risk of potentially splitting Rookie of the Year votes in Philadelphia, point guards Lonzo Ball (+250 to win Rookie of the Year) and Dennis Smith (+700) should both have the opportunity to be the stars of their new teams.
Team President Magic Johnson has anointed Ball the new face of the franchise for the Los Angeles Lakers, and backed that up with action in trading away DeAngelo Russell. Ball is an outstanding distributor that averaged 7.6 assists per game at UCLA last season, and he should flourish in the Lakers’ fast-paced offense as Luke Walton hopes to emulate his mentor Steve Kerr’s attack at Golden State.
Dennis Smith averaged 18.1 points per game and 6.2 assists per game for North Carolina State last year and has the potential to be the clear focal point of a fairly weak Mavericks roster. Other Rookie of the Year contenders include De’Aaron Fox (+700), Malik Monk (+900), Josh Jackson (+1200) and Jayson Tatum (+1600).
NBA Rookie of the Year Odds (see the complete list at OddsShark)
Lonzo Ball (LAL) +250
Ben Simmons (PHI) +300
Markelle Fultz (PHI) +550
De’Aaron Fox (SAC) +700
Dennis Smith (DAL) +700
Malik Monk (CHA) +900
Josh Jackson (PHX) +1200
Jayson Tatum (BOS) +1600
