We've covered how each team in the East and West will finish. Now our panel is projecting which first-year player will have the best start to his NBA career.

We asked the ESPN Forecast team to rank its top three choices for the 2016-17 NBA Rookie of the Year, with a first-place vote receiving five points, a second-place vote receiving three and a third-place vote receiving one. (Here's how ESPN Forecast works.)

To participate in the discussion and perhaps get your opinion published on this page, #ESPNForecast is the Twitter hashtag to use.

Rookie of the Year projections

1. Ben Simmons

Philadelphia 76ers | SF

First-place votes: 35

Total points: 207

2. Kris Dunn

Minnesota Timberwolves | PG

First-place votes: 8

Total points: 89

3. Brandon Ingram

Los Angeles Lakers | SF

First-place votes: 3

Total points: 71

Also receiving votes: Buddy Hield, Pelicans (18 points); Joel Embiid, 76ers (9); Jaylen Brown, Celtics (8); Jamal Murray, Nuggets (6); Denzel Valentine, Bulls (8); Thon Maker, Bucks (4); Dragan Bender, Suns (2); Dario Saric, 76ers (1).