I have to admit, every time I get to write one of these pieces about the NBA Rookie Ladder that doesn’t have Cleveland Cavaliers big Evan Mobley at the top, such as this last one, it’s becoming very frustrating. Mobley’s body of work, and his limitless ceiling have him playing the best basketball of any rookie this season. I know Scottie Barnes has done a lot for the Toronto Raptors, who seemed to have made a nice move by picking the wing from Florida State fourth overall. Cade Cunningham is basically the only player keeping the Detroit Pistons kind of afloat right now. However, if you put all that aside, the impact that Evan Mobley has had on the Cavs this year is something that none of the other rookies have shown, yet at least.
At this point last year the whole season was a wash, and the only thing to look forward to was the 2021 NBA Draft. After Sunday night’s throttling of Toronto, albeit without a number of players, the Cavaliers are 20-13, which is good for fifth place in the Eastern Conference. NFL pundits out there hate using wins to describe a quarterback. However, I think that is the opposite in this case, as every time Mobley has been on the floor this season, the Cavs are 17-8.
There are few players in the entire NBA that are having the same impact on their teams as Mobley. With all that being said, let’s get into the most recent Rookie Ladder, which was out this past Wednesday, for context.
Barnes snags the top spot
Unfortunately, Mobley did drop a spot after not playing since the last ladder was released. Unsurprisingly, Scottie Barnes stepped in to fill the top spot during Mobley’s absence. In all honesty, he’s been very good this season. He also became a victim of the NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols last week, but not before he put up big numbers versus the Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets. Over that two-game stretch he averaged 22 points per game, while also grabbing 10 rebounds per game.
Yes, Barnes has been great on the offensive end of late, however, he’s been fantastic defensively for the Raptors. Night in and night out he’s guarding some of the best guards and wings that the NBA has to offer. He’s not only holding his own, but he’s excelling. It is an interesting note that the two best rookies thus far in the season, have been great on the defensive end.
At the time when the Raptors took Barnes, they got a lot of scrutiny. Hell, even I thought it was a horrible pick with Jalen Suggs on the board. But at least this far into the season, it’s the Raptors who are having the last laugh.