NBA freshmen favor Zion to win ROY, Reddish to have best career
Former Duke teammates Zion Williamson and Cam Reddish are entering the NBA with the respect of their peers.
In the annual Rookie Survey compiled by NBA.com's John Schuhmann, Williamson - who was drafted first overall by the New Orleans Pelicans - was predicted to be named Rookie of the Year by 35 percent of his fellow freshmen. Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant ran second at 27 percent, while Reddish and another former Duke player, RJ Barrett, tied for third at 5 percent apiece.
It's worth noting that the Rookie Survey hasn't correctly predicted the Rookie of the Year winner since Kevin Durant in 2007-08.
Williamson was also overwhelming chosen as the most athletic rookie, with 87 percent of the vote.
Reddish, meanwhile, got a ton of love when it comes to long-term success. The Atlanta Hawks forward received the most votes (19 percent) for the question titled, "Which rookie will have the best career?" Morant (16 percent) and Hawks teammate De'Andre Hunter (11 percent) followed, with Williamson garnering just 5 percent.
Other notable categories are below:
| Biggest draft steal | Votes |
|---|---|
| Bol Bol to Nuggets | 19% |
| Kevin Porter Jr. to Cavs | 19% |
| 5 others | 5% |
| Best rookie shooter | Votes |
|---|---|
| Tyler Herro/Heat | 33% |
| Kyle Guy/Kings | 29% |
| Cameron Johnson/Suns | 13% |
HEADLINES
- Luka torches Heat for 60 points as Lakers win 8th straight
- Wembanyama sends Spurs back to playoffs with game-winner vs. Suns
- Duren leads blowout of Wizards in Pistons' 1st game without Cunningham
- LeBron ties Parish's NBA record with 1,611th game
- Nets' Porter out at least another 2 weeks with strained hamstring