Jahlil Okafor was the odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year, but Justise Winslow let his actions speak on the court Wednesday night.
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The No. 10-overall pick opened the year at 9/1, per Oddsshark.com, miles behind Okafor at 15/4 and for good reason.
Okafor finished with 26 points Wednesday night, becoming just the eighth rookie since 2000 to score 20 points in his regular season debut, per SI.com. His points total was the second-most by a center in his NBA debut since 1963.
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It just also came in a 112-95 loss to Boston, a trend you can expect to see this season.
For all his talents, Okafor will do little to improve Philadelphia's 18-64 record. The 76ers are projected by many to finish last in the Eastern Conference. SI.com only projected 23.2 Win Shares in 2015-16, hardly enough to leave a dent in an argument that will value wins and losses.
Winslow won't face that difficulty.
Justise Winslow Rookie of the Year.. Calling it now
— Keenan Coleman™ (@k_coleman2) October 29, 2015
Largely considered a secondary-unit player -- for now -- the rookie finished a plus-26 and ignited the American Airlines Arena. The Heat walked to a 94-84 victory over the Hornets.
Featuring on a team of veterans, Winslow has the added benefit of slowly acclimating to life in Miami and adding value when called upon.
Playing for a playoff contender doesn't hurt his chances, either.
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