Detroit Pistons head coach Dwane Casey on Friday praised rookie Saddiq Bey for his play this season and believes the 19th overall pick deserves to be in the NBA Rookie of the Year conversation.
Bey, who set the Pistons all-time rookie 3-point record, is averaging 11.3 points, four rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. He is converting on 41.4% from the field, including 38.4% from beyond the arc on 2.3 makes per game, which is tied for second-most ever by a rookie.
Among the rookie class, Bey ranks sixth in scoring and fifth in 3-point percentage while his 124 total 3s lead all first-year players. As of Friday, Bey has the fifth-highest odds of winning Rookie of the Year, according to BetMGM, and Casey believes he is a worthy candidate.
Casey on Saddiq Bey's RoTY odds: "It makes me feel very good. He's deserving. The young man has made himself into one of the top 3-point shooters of the rookie class, defender, and he's just scratching the surface … he's a coaches' dream."
— Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) April 16, 2021
While Bey has had a strong season, he hasn’t necessarily garnered as much attention as the likes of Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards or Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball and has flown under the radar, which likely won’t help him among voters.
Given the notoriety and play of Edwards and Ball, Bey will more than likely be on the outside looking in when it comes to the award, but his emergence has given the Pistons a strong piece to build around and that is likely more than enough for the 22-year-old.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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