The NBA’s Rookie of the Year race has been one of the two-horse variety for months now.
There’s the Philadelphia 76ers’ Ben Simmons, who sat out last season because of injury but is now drawing Magic Johnson comparisons for his ability to stuff a stat sheet. And then there’s Donovan Mitchell, who is about to become the first rookie since Carmelo Anthony to lead a playoff team in scoring.
Both players have set impressive records in their first (healthy) seasons as professionals. Still, Simmons doesn’t seem to think the “race” should be close, an opinion he vocalized Monday morning.