Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton continue their running dialogue on rookies and draft prospects.

Ford: The Philadelphia 76ers announced Friday that No. 1 pick Ben Simmons will miss the remainder of the 2016-17 season -- meaning he'll have missed the entire season -- because his broken foot hasn't fully healed. While the news disappoints Sixers fans and others eager to see Simmons play, it should create a very interesting NBA Rookie of the Year race next season.

With several potential stars in a very deep 2017 NBA draft class, we could be looking at multiple candidates for Rookie of the Year in 2017-18.