Malcolm Brogdon of the Milwaukee Bucks is the best choice for Kia Rookie of the Year as the most consistent first-year player among the three options. He’s the only one on a playoff team with his dependability a necessity rather than a preference, and he’s been a symbol of efficiency during an underwhelming 2016-17 filled with inefficiency by the rookie class.

It’s that simple. In a complicated decision for the media members who will turn in ballots by 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, with Philadelphia 76ers teammates Joel Embiid and Dario Saric also able to build strong cases for the award, Brogdon stands out as the only contender to play well the entire season. There are many points up for discussion, but that isn’t one.

Embiid was very good early, all the way to getting in the conversation for an All-Star appearance, a rarity for a rookie. Then, he hurt his left knee Jan. 20 and didn’t play after Jan. 27, finishing with 31 games played. Saric didn’t break 40 percent shooting in two of the three first full months before building his ROY campaign after Embiid went out.

Brogdon, though, made a quick impact, stayed among the second tier as Embiid powered toward a landslide victory. He then kept building a case as Embiid got hurt and attention immediately shifted toward Saric as the best alternative.

That Brogdon is also the feel-good story of a second-round pick, No. 36 overall, who beat long odds should have no place in the decision. The judgment should be on where a player is, not where he was as training camp opened. Besides, Saric has the positive story line of coming to the NBA after being drafted, spending two more seasons in Europe as hype built, and showing he was worth the wait. Embiid similarly made the 76ers look good for being patient as he came back after losing the two previous seasons to injury and tore through most of the competition while flashing a fun personality.