2018-19 NBA Rookie of the Year favorites and odds

Whether they intended to or not, the NBA Players Association sent a message by naming Donovan Mitchell its 2018 Rookie of the Year. The "official" 2018 Rookie of the Year hardware was awarded to Philadelphia's Ben Simmons despite the talented point guard being drafted in 2016 and missing his entire true rookie season.

Both young superstars posted big stats on a nightly basis, but on top of averaging five fewer points per game, Simmons missed all 11 three-point attempts and shot only 50 percent from the free-throw line. Mitchell averaged five fewer rebounds and assists compared to Simmons, but he shot 80 percent from the charity stripe and 34 percent beyond the arc. It’s a high bar to reach, but 14 of the top 15 favorites to win the 2019 R.O.Y are true NBA freshmen even if Dallas’ Luka Doncic turned pro at 16, three years ago.

Before leaving Michigan State after his sophomore season, Bridges averaged 17 points and seven rebounds. He now joins a Charlotte Hornets squad which features the same starting five from a season ago. If the team decides the Michael Kidd-Gilchrist experiment has run its course, Bridges would see more minutes. However, this is a rookie who will make most of his impact off the bench this season.

This is one of those "trust the process" guys because Gilgeous-Alexander's one-and-done Kentucky resume doesn't scream Rookie of the Year. He averaged 14 points and five rebounds during his freshman season with the Wildcats. Plus, he started only 24-of-37 games. The Clippers need a ton of help, but I'm not sure this 20-year-old can carry the weight at 181 pounds.

Melton missed his sophomore season after USC held him out due to a connection with an FBI college basketball bribery investigation. So instead of waiting out the investigation and potentially returning to the Trojans, he declared himself for the NBA Draft. Houston's 46th pick overall was traded to Phoenix as part of a package deal. During his last full season as a college freshman, Melton averaged eight points, five rebounds and two steals per game. NBA journeyman Isaiah Canaan doesn't have the Suns starting point guard gig on lock, but it'll take a lot for Melton to earn significant playing time to join the NBA R.O.Y. conversation.

Could Giles be 2018-19's Ben Simmons? The 6-foot-10 center out of Duke missed his entire true rookie season as he rehabbed a torn ACL. During early preseason action, he's averaged 20-plus minutes, 15 points and six rebounds per game off the bench. He could very easily supplant Willie Cauley-Stein as the team's starting center during the season, which would give him a much-needed boost toward earning the hardware.

Walker tore his meniscus and will miss the next six to eight weeks with a likely return date around early December. He played only one season, starting 18-of-32 games, for the Miami Hurricanes before declaring for the NBA Draft. Still only 19 years old, Walker appears to be another young project for Coach Popovich.

After missing nearly all of his freshman season at Missouri due to a back injury, Porter declared for the NBA Draft after the NCAA Tournament. He claims to be pain-free following back surgery, but Denver is taking its time injecting its top pick back into full-speed action. He hasn't played this preseason, and it's unlikely he'll start the season at 100 percent. Porter could return 20-or-so games into the season, and then it just becomes a question of how many minutes can he earn off the bench.

The rookie out of Texas and former McDonald's All-American will earn some minutes as a rookie but not as many as you would think due to a better scorer ahead of him on the depth chart. Magic center Nikola Vucevic is one of the most unheralded players in the league today. The 27-year-old can fill up a stat sheet in a hurry — 17 points and nine rebounds per game in an injury-shortened 2017-18 season — and is currently Bamba's roadblock to a starting role.

Jackson just turned 19 years old in September. In his only season at Michigan State, he averaged 11 points, six rebounds and three blocks per game. At 6-foot-11, this long power forward (see pic) has a great shot to earn major minutes on a rebuilding Grizzlies roster in need of a youth movement in the post. JaMychal Green and Marc Gasol aren't spring chickens anymore.

Lauri Markkanen's elbow injury placed him on Chicago's shelf for the next five-to-seven weeks. This opens the door for the rookie big man out of Duke to earn some quality minutes. However, through his first three preseason games, Carter has failed to take the proverbial bull by its horns. Although he's averaging better than 20 minutes per preseason contest, he's averaging less than 10 points per game and has only one block. Granted, it's the preseason, but Carter needs to take advantage while Markkanen is on the mend.

The Atlanta Hawks don't have much to offer, but they do have sharpshooter Trae Young. The one-and-doner out of Oklahoma is already letting it fly this preseason, and that's not always a great thing. Through three games, Young's made just 3-of-16 three-pointers and less than 36 percent of his shots overall. He's in the R.O.Y. conversation because he's going to play during Atlanta's rebuilding season.

Bagley was a man playing among boys during his one and only collegiate season. He averaged 21 points, 11 rebounds and nearly a block and steal per game for the Duke Blue Devils. The 19-year-old post player, who won't turn 20 until March, will experience some growing pains that come with a rookie season. It just comes with the territory as a member of the Kings, but this is a R.O.Y. long shot to watch.

Knox received post-NBA Draft headlines after he impressed media pundits during Summer League play. He's averaging 28 minutes per preseason game and posted two double-doubles through four contests. His 10 turnovers in his past two games remind you that his play won't always be perfect. Another one-and-doner out of the NBA factory that is Kentucky, Knox won't turn 20 years old until next August. With Kristaps Porzingis out indefinitely, New York is going to lean on the rookie to spark the offense.

Matthew Dellavedova. Gone. Kyrie Irving. Gone. LeBron James. Gone. George Hill. Around. Collin Sexton. Present. 

But will the rookie point guard out of Alabama be a gift or a curse, because Cleveland is really trying to put those to bed? The kid's 19 years old and played one collegiate season at a football school. However, winning Rookie of the Year is all about opportunity, and Sexton will earn enough playing time to warrant consideration at season's end. The Cavs claim they aren't rebuilding, but we'll see how that narrative changes once the calendar flips to January, Sexton turns 20 and Hill is either on the bench or with another team.

A throwback to the traditional post player, Ayton did attempt one three-pointer per game during his freshman season at Arizona. He also averaged 21 points, 11 rebounds, nearly two blocks and shot 61 percent from the field. Through four preseason games, he's averaging 30 minutes, 20 points and 10-plus rebounds per game. He's definitely ready for the regular season.

The All-EuroLeague First Team, two-time EuroLeague Rising Star, EuroLeague Final Four MVP, EuroLeague MVP and reigning EuroLeague champion, Doncic could add more hardware to his mantle if he can go wire-to-wire as the favorite to win the 2018-19 NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He's projected to average roughly 15 points, five to six rebounds and five to six assists per game. Is that enough? The Mavericks won 24 games last season. If Doncic can boost them to 40-plus wins, he's got a shot.