The simple answer is, not necessarily. NBA Rookie of the Year winners in the past two seasons played for teams that finished well out of playoff contention. However, Scottie Barnes claimed the honor in 2022 while playing for a Toronto Raptors squad that won 48 games. Ja Morant also claimed the honor for a playoff-bound Memphis squad in 2020, and Ben Simmons emerged as the top rookie in 2018 as part of the 52-win Philadelphia 76ers.