NBA Rookie of the Year rankings: Ben Simmons and the field

Last year's NBA Rookie of the Year debate was more of a pain than it had to be, what with Joel Embiid's injuries and there not being a clear-cut second choice for the award.

It doesn't look like that will be the case this time around. This year's crop is deep and rich with talent, and while some stand out more than others, it's evident early on this class could be something special.

Here's a look at the early favorites for the year-end hardware:

Honorable mentions: John Collins (Atlanta Hawks), De'Aaron Fox (Sacramento Kings), Mike James (Phoenix Suns)

7. Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers

While the "bust" chatter is extremely premature, its regularity is a testament to just how glaring an issue Ball's shooting percentages are, as that's all anyone appears capable of focusing on.

Never mind he has a pair of triple-doubles, is an exceptional rebounder for his position, and knows how to read the floor to find his Lakers teammates with their run-and-gun style (third in pace) better than most first-year players would.

When his shot eventually falls, his confidence will then rise, and the immense pressure and hype surrounding him - a result in no small part of his father's proclamations - will perhaps dissipate.

6. Dennis Smith Jr., Dallas Mavericks

On a Mavericks squad with just three wins to its name, Smith Jr. serves as one of the few reasons to continue being invested in a season that looks unsalvageable just over a month in.

LeBron James recently gave Smith Jr. - an attendee of his camp almost six years ago - his endorsement by suggesting the New York Knicks should have drafted him.

Like most of his peers, Smith Jr.'s game is plagued by crummy shooting and a proneness to turning the ball over (1.37 assist-to-turnover ratio). His superb athleticism evokes visions of Russell Westbrook, at least, and if Smith Jr. can even come close to that standard, Dallas fans will have someone to rally behind once Dirk Nowitzki retires.

5. Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz

Utah's 24th-ranked anemic offense needs every bucket it can get, which is why the team has green-lit Mitchell to shoot to his heart's content and provide the Jazz the points (100.3, 26th) they so desperately need.

He's averaging 17.3 points in the month of November, ranks second on the roster in scoring and shot attempts behind Rodney Hood, and has 10 games with 15 or more points, five of which had least 22.

It's just the irregularity with which those shots are dropping (37.1 percent from the field) that's troublesome. Mitchell is certainly contributing, just not as efficiently as you'd like.

4) Lauri Markkanen, Chicago Bulls

The Bulls' 3-point attempts have jumped from 22.3 in 2016-17 to 31 per game, catering to a stretch big like Markkanen who can light it up from distance.

No rookie in history has ever averaged at least eight boards and 2.5 3-pointers for a season. The 7-footer is well on his way to doing just that, crashing the glass for 8.3 rebounds and sinking 2.4 long-range bombs per game. In fact, only four other players (James Harden, Kevin Durant, DeMarcus Cousins, and Antoine Walker) have ever mustered those numbers, let alone just rookies.

Chicago doesn't have a true No. 1 in the pecking order. Markkanen will make mistakes along the way, and give up as many points as he puts up, but he's shown enough to warrant consideration for being the team's offensive focal point moving forward once Zach LaVine returns.

3) Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers

Kuzma's performance in the Las Vegas Summer League, including a 30-point outing and MVP nod in the championship game, was a sign of things to come.

The 27th overall pick (acquired from the Brooklyn Nets in the D'Angelo Russell trade) looks like the early steal of the draft, currently leading the 8-11 Lakers in the scoring department with a cool 16.8 points at a nearly 50 percent clip.

His flaws on the defensive end are quite noticeable, however. The Lakers allow nine fewer points per 100 possessions when he sits, and his rookie teammate, 6-foot-5 Josh Hart, has more blocks (3) in 419 fewer minutes than Kuzma (2).

2) Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

Full credit for Boston's recent 16-game winning streak shouldn't be heaped upon All-Star Kyrie Irving and Al Horford alone. Tatum played his part and he played it well.

Thrust into a starting gig he probably never envisioned having on a team with title aspirations, Tatum has made the most of his opportunities and excelled in head coach Brad Stevens' small ball lineups. He can beat you in so many ways, with his 48.1 3-point percentage perhaps being his most surprising weapon thus far, considering he shot just 34.2 percent during his lone year at Duke.

Trading down from the first overall pick to land Tatum has paid dividends for the Celtics, who lost Gordon Hayward minutes into the season. Tatum is versatile as both a three or four, creating mismatches with his ability to stretch the floor or blow by larger defenders off the dribble.

1) Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers

The gap between Simmons and the rest of the field is fairly substantial.

An inexperienced 6-foot-10 forward coming off a lost season due to injury shouldn't be this refined, especially as a facilitator (7.7 assists, fifth in NBA). Having basically zero range in his offensive attack, Simmons still manages to average 18.5 points for the 76ers, while converting 50.7 percent of his shots on 19 drives to the basket (second in the NBA) per contest.

If he were ever able to develop some semblance of a mid-range game, or even extend it to behind the arc (seven total 3-point attempts, most of which were heaves beyond halfcourt), he'd be basically unstoppable.