Noticiero El Big Picture del Deporte, NBA: NBA.com, Rookie Survey: Zion Williamson, Ja Morant early favorites to shine in 2019-20

The 2019 Draft class picks favorites for Kia Rookie of the Year, best defender and more. Time will tell about the five teams that had the top five picks in this year's Draft. But it's clear that fellow rookies approve of the guys selected in the top two.

• For the 11th time in the last 13 years, NBA.com sat down with the rookie class at the annual Rookie Photo Shoot. In addition to the seven questions about their fellow rookies, this year's group (of 42) answered a few about the current player they most admire and what they're expecting as they make the jump to the NBA.
• In this year's NBA.com Rookie Survey, 62 percent of responders picked the New Orleans Pelicans' Zion Williamson or the Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant to win the Kia Rookie of the Year award. Williamson made Rookie Survey history with how many votes he got in the "Most athletic" question, while Morant was a clear favorite for "Best playmaker."
• Who will be the 2019-20 Kia Rookie of the Year?
  1. Zion Williamson, New Orleans -- 35%
  2. Ja Morant, Memphis -- 27%
  3. R.J. Barrett, New York -- 5%
      Cam Reddish, Atlanta -- 5%
• Which rookie will have the best career?
  1. Cam Reddish, Atlanta -- 19%
  2. Ja Morant, Memphis -- 16%
  3. De'Andre Hunter, Atlanta -- 11%
  4. R.J. Barrett, New York -- 5%
      Jaxson Hayes, New Orleans -- 5%
      Coby White, Chicago -- 5%
      Zion Williamson, New Orleans -- 5%
• Which rookie is the most athletic?
  1. Zion Williamson, New Orleans -- 87%
  2. Brandon Clarke, Memphis -- 8%
  Others receiving votes: Jaxson Hayes, New Orleans; Kevin Porter Jr., Cleveland
• Who is your favorite player in the league?
  1. LeBron James, L.A. Lakers -- 38%
  2. Kevin Durant, Brooklyn -- 20%
  3. Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers -- 8%
      Damian Lillard, Portland -- 8%
  5. Devin Booker, Phoenix -- 5%
      James Harden, Houston -- 5%
• Last year: LeBron James -- 29%
  Worth noting: In the 10-year history of this question, only three players have been the top vote-getter. James, named the top guy for the fourth time, separates himself from Durant (3) and Kobe Bryant (3). Interestingly, Bryant wasn't one of the two retired guys -- Garnett and Nash, this time -- to get votes.

References:

NBA.com, Rookie Survey: Zion Williamson, Ja Morant early favorites to shine in 2019-20, John Schuhmann NBA.com, Aug 19, 2019.