Setting High Standards
The biggest honor a rookie can have besides the rarity of being named an all-star or an All-NBA player is being crowned Rookie of the Year.
Historically, the award has become very predictable. No matter how he respective players’ teams do record-wise, it seems to always go to the guy who has the best stat line. In recent history, Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Michael Carter-Williams, and Damian Lillard have all won the prestigious award. All of these players led multiple statistical categories including Carter-Williams who led in scoring, rebounding, and assists despite his Philadelphia 76ers winning a total of 19 games.
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Bembry isn’t going to let recent history dictate his chances of being the next best newcomer.
"“Well, I always set my standards very high. This year, I’m obviously going to say win Rookie of the Year, but other than that [my goal is] just to get as many minutes as I can as a rookie. I know Coach Bud doesn’t really play younger guys a lot, but I feel like me and Taurean [Prince] are two very different younger guys coming into the NBA. I’m just trying to go out there and play my game, but I’ll definitely try to win Rookie of the Year.”"
If the award was based off a player’s impact on their team’s overall success, Bembry’s name could very well be in the conversation. He mentions that head coach Mike Budenholzer isn’t known for playing his rookies a ton, but Bembry isn’t just another rookie.
Bembry is a seasoned player who excelled in his three seasons at St. Joseph’s. Last season as a junior, he was one of the most well-rounded players in the nation averaging 17.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game while being voted A-10 Conference Player of the Year.
His IQ and feel for the game will fit in just right with how Budenholzer plays, which should mean for significant playing time off the bench.