"A year older, even if spent on the bench, is still a year older. For my money, Blake Griffin is the man to beat in the Rookie of the Year race. Griffin, drafted No. 1 by the Clippers in 2009, missed his first season after suffering a serious knee injury that kept him out of the Clippers' lineup. (Because he didn't play in a regular-season game, he's still considered a rookie.) A lot remains to be seen whether Griffin is fully recovered (he claims he's going at 100 percent), and we won't get to see him until the preseason because he'll be skipping the Clippers' Summer League games in Las Vegas. Still, with All-Star Chris Kaman sharing the frontcourt duties and scorers Baron Davis and Eric Gordon in the backcourt, the pressure will be off Griffin. I expect Griffin to average at least 15 points and eight rebounds and, more importantly, help the Clippers improve on their 29-win season, which should go a long way in the voting." Also worth noting that Paul George is in the top 10 and Aminu is not there.