Who Won the 2010 NBA Rookie of the Year and Where Are They Now?

I still remember the buzz surrounding the 2010 NBA draft class like it was yesterday. That year felt special from the start, with analysts debating whether John Wall's explosive athleticism or Evan Turner's polished all-around game would define the next generation of NBA talent. The Rookie of the Year race became one of the most memorable in recent history, not just for the winner but for how several players from that class developed over time. Looking back now with over a decade of perspective, it's fascinating to trace where these players ended up and what their careers tell us about player development in the modern NBA.

Blake Griffin's unanimous Rookie of the Year selection in 2011—yes, the award was announced in 2011 for the 2010-2011 season—was one of the most anticipated announcements in recent memory. After sitting out what would have been his actual rookie season in 2009-2010 due to a stress fracture in his left kneecap, Griffin took the league by storm with a spectacular debut campaign that made the wait absolutely worthwhile. I've rarely seen a rookie dominate with such force and flair, averaging 22.5 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while appearing in all 82 games. Those numbers still stand as some of the most impressive rookie statistics in modern NBA history. His highlight-reel dunks became instant classics, with that infamous car-jumping dunk over the Kia Optima remaining etched in basketball folklore. What made Griffin's rookie season particularly special was how he transformed the Clippers from league laughingstock to must-watch entertainment almost singlehandedly.

The fascinating thing about that 2010 rookie class was how many players developed into significant contributors, even if they didn't win the top honor. John Wall, the first overall pick, put up impressive numbers of 16.4 points and 8.3 assists for Washington but missed 13 games to injury, which likely cost him any real chance at challenging Griffin. DeMarcus Cousins averaged 14.1 points and 8.6 rebounds for Sacramento, showing flashes of the dominant big man he would become, though his trademark temperament issues already showed through with 10 technical fouls and 4 ejections that season. Paul George, selected 10th by Indiana, began as a relative unknown but showed the two-way potential that would make him a superstar later, something I personally noted watching his defensive versatility in limited minutes off the bench. Then there were players like Landry Fields, who made the All-Rookie first team alongside these future stars, though his career would follow a very different trajectory.

Where these players are now tells a compelling story about NBA career arcs. Griffin just announced his retirement after a fascinating journey that saw him evolve from high-flying dunker to skilled playmaking forward with Detroit and Brooklyn before returning to Boston for a veteran role. His career earnings exceeded $258 million, with six All-Star appearances and five All-NBA selections cementing his legacy, though injuries prevented him from quite reaching the superstar heights many projected. John Wall's story is more bittersweet—after max contracts and All-NBA honors in Washington, devastating injuries derailed what seemed like a Hall of Fame trajectory, and he's currently out of the league despite reportedly still hoping for another opportunity. DeMarcus Cousins reinvented himself overseas after his own injury woes, most recently playing in Taiwan, while Paul George ironically finds himself on the Clippers—the franchise Griffin helped put on the map—as a perennial All-Star still chasing that elusive championship.

What strikes me about this class is how their careers reflect the unpredictable nature of professional sports. For every Paul George who exceeded expectations, there's a Wesley Johnson (4th pick) who never found his footing. The international players from that draft like Kevin Seraphin and Donatas Motiejūnas had respectable careers overseas after their NBA stints, reminding us that basketball success isn't limited to the NBA. Even the Rookie of the Year voting itself tells a story—Griffin received all 118 first-place votes, the first unanimous selection since David Robinson in 1990, while Wall gathered 91 second-place votes in what was essentially a two-man race despite Turner's solid campaign for Philadelphia.

Thinking about team dynamics and player partnerships reminds me of successful duos in other sports, like when Aloysius Yapp and AJ Manas got on the board for Team Asia with their 5-2 win in the doubles match against Sanchez Ruiz and Jayson Shaw in pool recently. That chemistry between players, whether in basketball or billiards, often determines success more than individual talent alone. Griffin's best years came when he formed that incredible partnership with Chris Paul on the Lob City Clippers, while Wall's most successful Washington teams featured his backcourt partnership with Bradley Beal.

Reflecting on this class more than a decade later, I'm struck by how their careers defied both the best and worst predictions. Griffin's athleticism-based game supposedly wouldn't age well, yet he adapted beautifully before injuries ultimately took their toll. George was seen as a project pick but became the class's most complete player. Wall's speed was supposed to decline first, yet it was his lower body injuries that changed his trajectory. If I had to redraft that class today, I'd take George first, Griffin second, Wall third, and Gordon Hayward fourth—with Cousins rounding out the top five despite his volatility. The 2010 rookie class ultimately gave us everything basketball fans could want: immediate excitement, long-term development stories, unexpected turns, and lasting legacies that continue to influence how we evaluate young talent today.