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On Thursday, the NBA unveiled the three finalists for the Rookie of the Year award based on the voting results from a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton were announced as the three contenders for the award after strong individual performances this season.
Ball averaged 15.7 points, 6.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 51 games to lead the Hornets to the play-in tournament. He finished second in scoring average while he led all rookies in assists and steals.
Edwards led all rookies in scoring after averaging 19.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He produced 36 games with at least 20 points, while Ball, who finished with the second-most 20-point games, had 17.
Haliburton, whose season was cut short due to a knee injury, finished averaging 13 points, 5.3 assists, three rebounds and 1.3 steals in 58 games. He connected on 47.2% of his shot attempts, including 40.9% from 3-point range.
The NBA Rookie of the Year finalists pic.twitter.com/WHmTaoCknr
— Cody Taylor (@CodyTaylorNBA) May 20, 2021
Ball was once viewed as the favorite to win the award but the wrist injury that cost him 21 games opened the door for Edwards. While Haliburton had a strong year, Ball and Edwards figure to be the top two candidates.
The winner will be announced on TNT during its coverage of the playoffs.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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