Voters were not asked for a top three, as the official ballot from the NBA will require. But among those who used that blueprint anyway, one did not have Noel and three left off Mirotic, an early indication of how the final tally could go in many different directions.
While 16 people is a very small sample size compared to the 124 from the United States and Canada who will vote on Rookie of the Year at the end of the regular season, the 16 are from both conferences as well as national writers, and are also a mix of writers and broadcasters. No one from any of the four locations of the main contenders -- the Twin Cities for Wiggins, Philadelphia for Noel, Orlando for Payton, Chicago for Mirotic -- participated.
If the outcome of the unscientific poll among random potential voters from many markets, Wiggins could be headed to an easy win that would debunk any theory the race had tightened as Noel took his place among league leaders and Mirotic consistently delivered in the fourth quarter for the Bulls.
"It's getting jumbled, for sure, but I'd still vote for Andrew Wiggins today," one media member said.
"If it was six weeks ago, I'd probably mark my ballot Wiggins and everyone else a distant second," another said. "Today? I'd probably still go with Wiggins, despite his team, and have Mirotic a very, very close second and Noel third. And I don't know, with two weeks left, I could perhaps be convinced to swap the top two, it's that close in my mind."
And, in an e-mail: "My vote for ROY will be Wiggins. I've only done a little research but would be shocked if it wasn't a runaway or even a unanimous vote pro-Wiggins. Curious to see the results next month."
From the pro-Noel side: "It's really a tossup right now between Noel and Wiggins. They've each been impressive at times, albeit in completely different ways, and both have shown tremendous growth over the course of the season. The Timberwolves have been as dependent on Wiggins' scoring as the 76ers have been reliant on Noel's defense. But I'm leaning toward Noel, because he's had the greater overall impact. The 76ers, incredibly, have the 10th-best defensive rating in the NBA, despite a severe shortage of talent. It's a testament to Brett Brown's coaching, but also a reflection of Noel's emergence as a major defensive force. The advanced metrics bear this out."
For Mirotic: "I personally feel Mirotic is the best rookie I've seen, but I need to look at [the] full body of work."
Along those lines, several media members said their decision may change in the final two weeks. The final answer is becoming that difficult for some, even as the informal survey shows the possibility of a big win for Wiggins.
The Ladder with two weeks to go?
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