NEW YORK -- The Rookie of the Year voters in the NBA have a difficult task ahead of them. There's Malcolm Brogdon of the Bucks, the leader in win shares by a rookie. There's the impressive young Hernangomezes, surprising Yogi Ferrell, tantalizing Caris LeVert.
But most observers believe it will come down to a pair of rookies on Brett Brown's Sixers: Joel Embiid, clearly the best rookie when he played this year, and Dario Saric, who has impressed while playing in 81 games this season, though the Sixers chose to rest him in the season finale Wednesday night against the Knicks.
So who would Brown choose?
"It would be like you asking me which of my children I love the most," Brown told reporters prior to the game. "And so I love them all."
Brown then addressed the question more seriously, though he was careful not to tip his hand if he'd favor one or the other.
"I get out of it easiest by saying: three times in the history of the NBA there was a co-Rookie of the Year," Brown said. "And each of my guys puts his hand up in massive ways to be considered. I've said it before, I'll say it again: we feel like this is our trophy. We feel like this award goes through Philadelphia."
Brown has done his homework. The three times the NBA had co-winners? 1970-71 (Geoff Petrie, Dave Cowens), 1994-95 (Jason Kidd, Grant Hill) and 1999-2000 (Steve Francis, Elton Brand). No teammates have ever shared the award.
"We respect the other people that are in consideration for this," Brown said. "But I don't have any pause when I say what I just said. Our two players have had excellent years, and have every right to be considered the way they are being considered."
Just not by Brown. Not if he has to choose.
"It wouldn't be right," Brown, the father of three, said as he walked away. "It's like Christmas presents."
