2013 NBA Draft: Rookie Of The Year Sleepers

There are a few players who were selected outside of the top ten with a real chance to compete for the 2014 NBA Rookie of the Year award. Mark Jackson was the last rookie drafted outside of the top ten to win the award. He accomplished the feat in 1988 for the New York Knicks after NY selected him with the 18th pick in the 1987 NBA Draft.  

1. Shabazz Muhammad, Minnesota

Muhammad took a beating during the pre-draft process but now it's time to actually play basketball. He certainly has some deficiencies in his game but the 6-6 wing can fill it up when he gets going. The T'Wolves are going to need some production from the perimeter and he'll get every opportunity to score 12-16 ppg for them in '13-'14. I wouldn't be shocked if he averaged more than Ben McLemore and C.J. McCollum next season, giving him a shot at ROY honors. 

2. Tony Mitchell, Detroit

This kid was a budding superstar during his freshman season at North Texas. He averaged 15 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks per game in his first year. The team was dreadful last season and he seemed to lose interest. The reality is that the Pistons got themselves a lottery talent in the second round and he can attack the glass with Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond boxing out around him. If he works his tail off and develops a mid-range jumper he could go from sixth man to starter, bouncing Kyle Singler out of the lineup by January. 

3. Kelly Olynyk, Boston

Forget about cracking the rotation, KO will be starting for the stripped down Celtics next season. If he gets starters' minutes the whole season he should be in the 15 & 7 range. The wildcard to his game will be his three-point shooting. He showed great range during his workouts and if the former Zaga standout starts pumping in treys he could average in the high teens for a Boston team suddenly in need of scoring.