Joel Embiid was running away with the 2017 NBA Rookie of the Year Award but he got hurt in the middle of the season and he was ruled out of the regular season. As part of our NBA Awards Predictions for the 2016-17 NBA season, who will win the Rookie of the Year Award? Will it be Dario Saric or Malcolm Brogdon?

According to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com, Joel Embiid, Dario Saric and Malcolm Brogdon are the top three candidates for the 2017 NBA Rookie of the Year Award. Embiid could be out of contention since he has only played in 31 games this season.

There is no question that "The Process" was the best rookie this year but he was just not on the court for the majority of the season. So the 2017 NBA Rookie of the Year Award comes down to Dario Saric of the Sixers and Malcolm Brogdon of the Bucks.

Dario Saric has played in all of the Sixers games this season, starting in 36 of them. Although he only averages 12.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, he picked it up in February when he scored in double digits in 22 straight games.

On the other hand, Malcolm Brogdon is averaging 10.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game this season. He has only started 27 out of the 74 games he has played in but his advantage is the Bucks are in the playoffs.

Sixers head coach Brett Brown believes that the 2017 Rookie of the Year will come from Philadelphia. He noted that Dario Saric has shown great improvement since the start of the season up until the All-Star break when he took over the Sixers.

"I think there's something to be said for the upward body of work, what people have done as the season has come to an end. In that assessment, you can judge improvement. And I just feel like those few things really make Dario's opportunity to be selected eye-popping," Brown said, per Philly Voice.

Saric is averaging 17.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists after the All-Star break. He will probably win the 2017 NBA Rookie of the Year Award since many voters disregard winning and look at the stats. But for Malcolm Brogdon, it's not bad to come in second place considering he was drafted in the second round by the Bucks.

Related