Zero NBA General Managers Think #1 Pick Markelle Fultz Will Be Rookie of the Year

Markelle Fultz was the consensus #1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He was also the actual #1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. One would assume this means he’s considered the best player in his draft class – especially in the eyes of all the people who would have picked him if they had the chance. That’s not the case though. The results of the annual NBA General Manager survey were posted on NBA.com today and Fultz didn’t get a single vote for Rookie of the Year.

First of all, Kris Dunn averaged 3.8 points in 17 minutes on a 31-win team last season, so this survey question has obviously led to a whole lot of WRONG in the past. In fact, not a single GM picked actual ’16-’17 Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon to win last year. So Fultz has that going for him.

You have to wonder if some GMs would have picked Fultz, but figured he and Ben Simmons might split votes. Or maybe everyone was lying before the draft. Lonzo Ball looks like the second-best rookie on the Los Angeles Lakers and he got the majority of the vote. Maybe they just figure the LaVar Ball hype machine will roll on to an award.