It’s only fitting that that Evan Mobley has returned to the top of the NBA Rookie Ladder, the day after he had a great 15-point, 15-rebound performance last night in the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ blowout win over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday. The Cavs have now won three straight with the average margin of victory being 18 points. They are proving they are one of the best young teams in the NBA, and rookie big man Evan Mobley has had a lot to do with it this season.
As a side note, the Rookie Ladder was released on Wednesday, but in general, it’s never a shock when Mobley is atop the rookie rankings.
Last week in the rookie rankings, Scottie Barnes was still on the top rung of the ladder. However, this week Barnes slipped to number two in the rankings. Now, I’m sure if you found a bunch of Cavalier fans, and a group of Toronto Raptors fans as well, they would talk and argue for days about who is better, Barnes or Mobley? But in this case, I think I and the rest of Cleveland fans echo how Jarrett Allen praised Mobley after he won the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month last week, via Kelsey Russo of The Athletic (subscription required).
Now, if you disagree with that sentiment, then you just really aren’t a Cavalier fan. However, both Mobley and Barnes have been incredibly impressive this season, especially coming in as the number three and four overall picks. Even still, Cade Cunningham, who stood pat at third on the rookie ladder, has gotten better every minute he’s on the floor. Likewise for Orlando Magic rookie Franz Wagner, and Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Josh Giddey, who only played in one game over the last week because of the flu.
On the flip side, the Houston Rockets have had their best stretch of the season while rookie Jalen Green has been sidelined with an injury. Finally, the old man of the group, Chris Duarte, has continued to impress with the Indiana Pacers. He might be the one player that’s not on the block for the Pacers, as they reportedly look to try and begin the rebuilding process.