In some years, there always seems to be the clear runaway to take home the NBA's Rookie of the Year honors. During the 2021-2022 season, there are multiple contenders for the award which makes for fierce competition on the court.
One of the names in contention for the award might sound familiar to Michigan basketball fans, too.
Former Wolverine wing, and current Orlando Magic star player, Franz Wagner appears as the No. 1 rookie on Yahoo Sports' rookie rankings list that was released on Monday.
Below is what Yahoo had to say about Wagner:
"Wagner is leading all rookies in the following categories: points (627), points per game (15.7), minutes played (1,288), field goals made (235) and free throws (104). Wagner is the dark horse in the Rookie of the Year race, making a strong case. Even teammate Cole Anthony is campaigning for him and voiced his frustration of Wagner getting overlooked early in the season. Recently, Anthony said he’s going to start calling Wagner “ROY” (Rookie of the Year) after a strong showing last month.
Wagner was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for December and averaged 19.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists. He had a monster game against the Milwaukee Bucks where he finished with 38 points (including four 3-pointers) and added seven rebounds. Wagner is getting much more comfortable and is making the right reads off the pick-and-roll as the primary ball handler. Wagner was the No. 8 overall pick and is a serious contender for the top rookie honor at the end of the season."
Despite Wagner's success on the floor, it hasn't translated to wins in the record books. The Magic sit last in the Eastern Conference with a league-worst 7-34 record.
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