Cavs’ Evan Mobley remains at #1 in Rookie Ladder heading into ASB

Mobley and Barnes thriving, while Giddey impresses

I don’t really need to do a lot of writing in this particular edition of my reaction to the rookie ladder this week. It’s been pretty clear that Evan Mobley and Scottie Barnes were the clear frontrunners for Rookie of the Year. With that being said, Josh Giddey has entered his name into the discussion, and Cade Cunningham’s talent will ultimately be there at the end. However, Mobley is a clear first choice in my books.

He not only leads all rookies in plus-minus, but he dwarfs the competition. At plus-157, the nearest rookie is Los Angeles Lakers guard/wing Austin Reaves with a plus-116. Reaves has also played in considerably less time than Mobley.

Either way, it’s not that it’s very rare to see such a high rating for such a young player, but it’s that he’s doing it on another level than anyone else in his class. Mobley leads all rookies in field goal percentage and blocks, and in recent games has shown he is looking to improve offensively. I have a feeling he’ll be very eager to get back to real games after this weekend.

To be completely honest, I don’t get to see a lot of Scottie Barnes play. However, in the time that I have watched him, he’s been one of the best all-around players I’ve seen. He really is a stat-stuffer, and that is often translating into wins for the seventh-place Raptors. I could go on and on about how great Barnes season has been, but I think we’re all thoroughly impressed with the level he’s playing at, with such a high workload.

To the last point, though, I think it’s time to officially enter Josh Giddey’s name into the Rookie of the Year conversation. With teammate Shai Gilegeous-Alexander struggling with injuries, Giddey has kept the Thunder above water. On top of that, he’s also doing it in a lot of different ways. Giddey has a calm presence that you often see with great facilitators.

But Giddey has shown he’s more than just a great facilitator. In the game versus the Knicks, he was 11-for-22 from the field, while also hitting a trio of three-pointers.

It’s going to be a joy to watch him throw alley-oops all night on Friday.

Finally, Cunningham has the talent to be the best rookie of this class; unfortunately, he’s just struggled with injuries. On top of that, the Pistons have been extra cautious, which is very smart considering the Pistons are probably looking at another high lottery pick next season.

It should be a thrilling ride all the way to the end of the season. I can’t wait.