Week 7 NBA Rookie of the Year race: Bucks' Brogdon climbing the ranks

Paste BN Sports' top three candidates for the 2016-17 NBA Rookie of the Year award (through Saturday, Dec. 17).

Also receiving votes: Brandon Ingram, Jamal Murray, Domantas Sabonis

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3. Malcolm Brogdon, Milwaukee Bucks

His 7.6-point, 2.9-assist, 2.2-rebound averages aren't exactly head-turning, but Brogdon, a 24-year-old UVA grad who the Bucks stole with the 36th pick, has been one of the most pleasant surprises of this year's rookie class. 

“He just knows how to play,” Bucks coach Jason Kidd said recently of his rookie guard's maturity. “There’s no panic in his game. He’s not afraid of the moment. He’s not afraid to come into the coach’s office and ask if he can guard some of the star players down the stretch."

2. Dario Saric, Philadelphia 76ers

Saric struggled a bit in three games this week, averaging just 4.3 points on a meager 23.1% shooting, but it wasn't enough to drop him out of our No. 2 spot, where he's been for the majority of the year. On the season, the Croatian forward is averaging 9.5 points and 5.7 rebounds, which both rank second in the rookie class behind fellow Sixer Joel Embiid.

1. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

We may only be a third of the way into the 2016-17 season, but at this point, what's left to be said about Embiid? Though his week was relatively quiet (averaged 12.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in two games), the 7-foot, 250-pound center remains the clear-cut leader in the Rookie of the Year race, averaging 17.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in just 24.1 minutes.

List of voters: Paste BN Sports' Jeff Zillgitt, Sam Amick, Kevin Spain, AJ Neuharth-Keusch and Michael Singer; Arizona Republic's Paul Coro; The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal's Ronald Tillery; Detroit Free Press' Vince Ellis; Indianapolis Star's Nate Taylor; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Charles Gardner; The (Bergen) Record's Steve Popper; HoopsHype.com's Jorge Sierra and Raul Barrigon; Paste BN Sports Weekly's Howard Megdal.