The NBA announced that the Cleveland Cavaliers' Kyrie Irving was named Rookie of the Year for the 2011-2012 season and for good reason. It was a runaway vote and he was three first-place votes away from being unanimous. The voters at least got that part right.
What they got wrong was where the Sacramento Kings' Isaiah Thomas landed in the voting. Thomas received six second-place votes and 10 third-place votes to finish seventh overall.
People were watching a different season.
Yes, Golden State's Klay Thompson ended the season strong and New York's Iman Shumpert was a major cog on a playoff team. But Thomas won Western Conference rookie of the month twice, stole the limelight from a higher draft pick in Jimmer Fredette and became a leader on a young, mercurial team after being a late second-round pick - as in the very last pick.
Thomas deserved to finish in the top five in the voting. His demeanor and poise gave the Kings a much needed emotional adjustment, once again giving them a little hope that their uber-talented, but erratic bunch can finally reach their potential and start to make some noise in the Western Conference.
Maybe this slight will add further fuel to the fire.