CANDIDATES
Stephen Curry, Warriors, point guard
Season stats: 35.2 minutes, 15.5 points, 5.3 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 2.8 turnovers, percentages (.461, .407, .879)
February stats: 39.5 minutes, 21.5 points, 7.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 1.6 steals, 3.8 turnovers, percentages (.467, .347, .902)
Sunday’s game: Did not play
Next game: Tuesday, March 2, at Miami Heat, 4:30 p.m.
Tyreke Evans, Kings, guard
Season stats: 37.1 minutes, 20.4 points, 5.4 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 2.89 turnovers, percentages (.467, .257, .756)
February stats: 37.8 minutes, 20.1 points, 7.0 assists, 5.8 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 3.1 turnovers, percentages (.505, .294, .627)
Sunday’s game (Kings 97, Clippers 92): 37 minutes, 22 points, 3 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover (9-21, 0-0, 4-8)
Next game: Tuesday, March 2, at Oklahoma City Thunder, 5 p.m.
Worth noting: Evans continues to struggle at the free-throw line. But the rest of his game has been consistently solid. He rarely has a bad game. His consistency is impressive. Curry is still the better player right now, though.
Do you award ROY to a player who has performed consistently well throughout his rookie season, or the player who got off to a slow start but by the end of the season, is the superior player? If you rule in favor of Curry there, how far do you stretch that logic? Because right now, Evans and Curry are outstanding, but you could make the argument that in the past month, the NBA’s most impressive rookie has been New Orleans Hornets point guard Darren Collison. Just for comparison’s sake:
Darren Collison, Hornets, guard
Season stats: 23.2 minutes, 10.4 points, 4.4 assists, 2.4 rebounds, 0.9 steals, 2.35 turnovers, percentages (.452, .338, .849)
February stats: 41.8 minutes, 21.6 points, 8.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 4.8 turnovers, percentages (.476, .378, .827)
Sunday’s game (Mavericks 108, Hornets 100): 44 minutes, 35 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 5 turnovers (15-21, 3-5, 2-3)
Next game: Tuesday, March 2, at Oklahoma City Thunder, 5 p.m.
So, who do you pick for February Rookie of the Month? And who’s your pick right now for Rookie of the Year? Post your thoughts below.
