The basketball fever is almost reaching its boiling point as the regular NBA Season 2015-2016 kick-starts this coming 27th of October. As expected, people all around the globe has its own bet and predictions, especially for the rookie of the year this coming NBA Season 2015-2016. Every NBA fans is excited to watch their team and favorite players' battle each other to reach the finals and ultimately take home the NBA Title for this season.
However, it is not just the fans and the veteran players who are excited for the start of the regular NBA season, for the thrill and excitement are likewise felt by the rookie players of the league. Every one of them is excited to be on the court and prove their worth for their team and most especially to their fans.
Such is the case of Emmanuel Mudiay of Denver Nuggets, a rookie for this upcoming NBA Season 2015-2016. He is the current seventh pick in this year's NBA draft, but because of the decision of Nuggets management to trade point guard Ty Lawson to Houston Rocket, Mudiay despite being a rookie would be Nuggets' starting player. Such career opening is indeed a blessing in disguise for this rookie who after being denied eligibility to enter SMU by the NCAA, went to China before arriving at the doorsteps of the NBA.
This coming NBA season would be great test for Mudiay, for it is undeniable that Denver Nuggets has been having rocky season. Mudiay is not unfamiliar to his team's current situation and standing, the rookie even stated via yahoo that;
"The last two years have been rocky for [the Nuggets].But I'm going to just come in here and do the best I can to change that. I'm trying to win. When you win, everything is definitely better. Being a rookie, being a high pick, you're kind of thrown into a situation where you have to develop. The team will develop as well."
The move of Nuggets' trading Ty over to Houston and acquiring the service of a rookie for a starting role is indeed a bold move. But still it goes to show how the management and team trust the capacity and potential of the young 19 year old NBA rookie, who by far would also be competing against other rookies for the coveted rookie of the year this NBA Season 2015-2016. From a fellow player's standpoint, Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried made some comments about the rookie Emmanuel Mudiay, he stated via yahoo that;
"From the first two games to now, he has really progressed as a point guard. He had turnovers the first two preseason games, but now he's confident. We're telling him to stay confident and stay on attack mode and he's doing just that."
Despite the attention and the opportunity given to the seventh pick in this year's NBA draft, Mudiay, he still remained humble and persevering. A testament to this is his gesture of asking for advice from players like Stephen Curry, former Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony, and Chauncey Billups, a former Nuggets guard. He then stated that, "If you really want to be on that level, you really need to seek out who is out there and who has done it."
However, the climb to the ladder of success and even achieving the rookie of the year for this NBA 2015-2016 season is not that easy. For even though Emmanuel Mudiay headlines the list of 10 NBA rookies to watch, he would still have to prove such label. He would have to outplay his fellow rookies like D'Angelo Russell of Los Angeles Lakers, Kristaps Porzingis of New York Knicks and so much more. Being chosen as a headliner for list of 10 NBA rookies to watch is considerably not a brand to keep but rather a challenge to answer.
