Cavs’ Evan Mobley stands pat at second on latest Rookie Ladder

Ah, another week, and yet again, another Rookie Ladder with Cleveland Cavaliers big Evan Mobley not in the pole position. On the plus side, after falling a spot last week, he came back strong to stand pat at number two. However, if you didn’t know about the Orlando Magic’s Franz Wagner after I wrote about him in last week’s article, you should now. Especially after the spectacular week he had.

For the second week in a row, Wagner landed at the top rung on Kia’s Rookie Ladder. Following him was a crowd of guys that have been near the top all season in Evan Mobley, Scottie Barnes, and of course, Cade Cunningham. Below those guys, are some young hoopers that are quickly rising the ladder. Josh Giddey of the Oklahoma City Thunder finished out the top five, while Jalen Green made the jump to sixth.

It’s important to note the roles that some of these guys have on their respective teams. For a guy like Cade Cunningham, the entire Detroit Pistons organization is counting on him to become a star. On the other side of things, while Evan Mobley has been exceptional all season, he isn’t asked to carry the load for a young Cavalier team. Wagner’s role on the Magic is sort of a mix of both Mobley and Cunningham’s roles. Right now, Wagner is one of the only players on the Magic’s roster keeping the team afloat for extended stretches.

With that being said, there’s a reason why it seems like the top three or four rookies are in the top five every week. They are essential to their teams’ success or failure. It also makes what those guys are doing that much more impressive, considering the spots they were drafted in.