Cavs: Evan Mobley slots in at #3 in first Kia Rookie Ladder

I think it’s safe to say that most Cleveland Cavaliers fans are bubbling with excitement after watching Evan Mobley fill the stat sheet in the team’s first five games. Right now, Mobley is averaging 13.8 points per game, while also tacking on 8.6 rebounds and two blocks. I don’t think many expected the young man from USC to come out and play as well as he has, simply because it takes longer for big men to adjust to the NBA game.

With that being said, Mobley looks like the real deal. Not only is he filling the stat sheet, but he’s doing it efficiently. The big man from USC is shooting 50 percent from the field, and 25 percent from deep; granted the latter isn’t great. But the three-point accuracy will come with time and repetition. However, he’s also only taking about one three-point shot per game, so he definitely isn’t forcing it, which is nice to see from a rookie in this era.

I think Mobley, at the least, has impressed everyone so far. When the NBA came out with their first Kia Rookie Ladder, Mobley was slotted in third, which was the correct place to put him, in my opinion.

Cavs: Mobley finishes third behind Chris Duart and Scottie Barne on Kia’s Rookie Ladder for the first week of the season.

Granted, I have to say that I’ve been impressed with Mobley this early in the season. He’s been efficient and has adjusted to the NBA game well this early in his career. With that being said, there is one other rookie who has been more impressive. That player is Chris Duarte, one of the oldest rookies in the league.

The 24-year old sharpshooter was injected into the Indiana Pacers starting lineup from game one, and they haven’t looked back since. Duarte is averaging 18.6 points per game, while also kicking in almost a steal per game. The most impressive stat of his is that he’s shooting nearly 42 percent from deep, which is incredible for a rookie. Duarte was the player who finished first in Kia’s first rookie ladder. He has been the best rookie in the league so far this season, so having him at the top is correct.

Now before we get into Scottie Barnes, I have to admit I was not a fan of the Toronto Raptors taking him fourth. In my opinion, he was a complete work in progress, that would need a lot of time to make an impact at the NBA level. Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong. While I do think a lot of the love for him is overblown, he’s still playing incredibly well.

Barnes is averaging 16.8 points per game while also pitching in nearly nine rebounds. His playmaking ability has been a huge factor in his early NBA career. His best game of the year so far came on October 22nd versus the Boston Celtics. Barnes put up 25 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, while also pitching in two assists. And clearly, he’s one of the best players from the 2021 NBA Draft class.

While Mobley has played very well, and even more so defensively, and has helped the Cavs go on a mini three-game winning streak right now, his third place finish is correct in my opinion. It’s hard for me to admit I’m wrong, and I won’t do it yet. But I would say there’s a very good chance I was wrong about Scottie Barnes. He looks like a stud in Toronto. As for Duarte, I don’t think many saw this coming, but it’s possible they should have. Duarte’s game translates very well to the NBA, and at 24 he’s more experienced and mature than most other rookies.

Mobley is fitting in nicely with the Cavs.

In the end, it’s honestly just refreshing to see Mobley mentioned with some of the best rookies in the league. I’ll be the first to admit I was skeptical about taking Mobley, but so far he’s proven me wrong. The frontcourt duo of him and Jarrett Allen is already one of the best defensive pairings in the league. On top of that, while playing next to Mobley, Allen has been having a stellar start to the season.

I think Mobley will continue to rise up and down on the rookie ladder throughout the year. However, I don’t think it’s too crazy to say that he might end up finishing on the first rung on the ladder.