Everyone has an opinion on who should win the Rookie of the Year this season, the only problem is not many can agree on one player.
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Ben Simmons started the year the favourite, and his play has backed up the hype he received prior to stepping on the floor this season.
Meanwhile, Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell has burst onto the scene as a potential spoiler to Simmons' coronation at the end of the season. The friendly competition will take centre stage at NBA All-Star on Saturday (AEDT) as both Mitchell and Simmons will lead their respective teams when Team USA takes on Team World.
Both players were complimentary of each other at the media availability on Saturday morning, with Mitchell picking the Aussie as the Rising Star most likely to make the All-Star game in the future.
"He's talented, he was close to being an All-Star this year," Mitchell said. "He can do a lot of things that a lot of rookies just can't do."
Mitchell leads all rookies in scoring averaging 19.6 points a game on a Utah team that is dependant on his production. It's become the major argument as to why he should be the Rookie of the Year in the eyes of many.
Simmons, on the other hand, continues to stuff the stat-sheet averaging 16.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. At 6'10", his ability to dominate the game in more ways than just scoring has become the key reason why others believe he should be the rookie of the year.
Regardless of who wins the award, there's a good chance both will play in the All-Star game at soon point in their careers. While the two will be made out to be reluctant rivals for the rest of the season, the respect is there for each others' game.
"He's instinctive, he knows the game," Mitchell added. "He knows how to get his teammates open - he knows what to do."
