I have to commend NBA.com writer Steve Aschburner this week before we get into the full Rookie Ladder rankings following the All-Star break. Not only have Steve’s ladders been mostly in lockstep with my own for the majority of the year, but he hasn’t been afraid to highlight certain rookies at the right time of their rookie year.
I looked back on the most recent ladder Steve and I disagreed on, when he placed Cade Cunningham atop the ladder, after beating Evan Mobley and the Cleveland Cavaliers, while having a triple-double. It was no doubt biased, and wrong, but now I actually like what Steve has done.
There’s no doubt this rookie class has a chance to be special, but we haven’t been able to see certain players due to injury or other reasons. So looking back on the week, Cunningham was coming off a great performance, which has been an unfortunate rarity this season. He’s dealt with injuries, and let’s be honest, his supporting cast has been lackluster at best. However, it was a milestone game for him, and he deserved some recognition.
Finally, we all know rookies like Jalen Green, Moses Moody, and James Bouknight didn’t have the best start to their careers, dealing with injuries or seeing little playing time, but Aschburner instead chose to highlight the good performances rather than the bad. So, kudos Mr. Aschburner, and once again, in this week’s rankings, we are back in lockstep.
With the ladder this week titled “where the award race stands heading into final stretch,” the rankings are pretty self-explanatory.
Again atop the ladder is Evan Mobley. After playing well over All-Star Weekend, the rookie is ready to take his pre-All-Star momentum into the season’s most important stretch. Looking up at him is a familiar face in Scottie Barnes. Just like Mobley, Barnes has been a key contributor to the Toronto Raptors’ hopeful playoff run down the stretch. Coming in on the third rung this week is Josh Giddey, once again.
In his last game before the break, he became the first rookie since NBA legend Oscar Robertson to have three consecutive triple-doubles, after pouring in 17 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, and dishing out 10 assists in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
I would say the ladder’s most intriguing rookie heading into the second half, is fourth on the ladder this week, and it’s the Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham. He was named MVP of the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, and heads into the last stretch looking to prove his number one overall draft pick wasn’t a mistake.
Finally, maybe the least talked about rookie who’s having a great season, Franz Wagner, brings up the rear in fourth. He’s averaging over 15 points a game for a young and exciting Orlando Magic team, and he doesn’t look like he plans on slowing down anytime soon.
It was great to see all these young potential superstars play this past weekend, but Aschburner is right, the Rookie of the Year Award is Evan Mobley’s to lose.
Full Rookie Ladder Rankings
- Evan Mobley, PF, Cavaliers
- Scottie Barnes, Forward, Raptors
- Josh Giddey, Guard, Oklahoma City Thunder
- Cade Cunningham, Guard, Pistons
- Franz Wagner, Forward, Magic
- Ayo Dosunmu, Guard, Chicago Bulls
- Herbert Jones, Forward, New Orleans Pelicans
- Chris Duarte, Guard, Indiana Pacers
- Jalen Suggs, Guard, Magic
- Jalen Green, Guard, Houston Rockets
There’s no doubt about it, the ROY is Mobley’s to lose
Even as I watched Josh Giddey catch fire before the All-Star break, and have a great performance over the weekend, I still thought the same thing. After watching Cade Cunningham do everything possible on a basketball court in Friday’s Rising Stars Challenge, I still thought the same thing. So obviously after watching Jalen Green in the dunk contest, I definitely thought the same thing. Evan Mobley is the best rookie in the NBA, and it’s really not all that close.
I know that may sound biased, but believe me, his on-court play, and the numbers prove it. On top of that, his two-way superstar potential is the highest in this draft class. His overall numbers show he’s the best across the board in that category, scoring 14.9 points per game, snagging 8.1 rebounds per game, and even distributing 2.6 assists per game. Oh and he’s blocking 1.6 shots per game, which ranks eighth in the entire NBA.
If you want to further look into his impact, just check out his plus-minus numbers where he leads all rookies with a plus-140 mark. The next closest rookie is the Los Angeles Lakers’ Austin Reaves at plus-124, and Jose Alvarado (Pelicans) and Corey Kispert (Washington Wizards) are the only other rookies with numbers above plus-59.
With the great first half of the season he had, the pressure will only continue to mount on Mobley. Right before the break, in two losses, Mobley looked good in scoring 22 and 11 versus the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers, respectively, even with some tough stretches at Philly. However, the Cavs defense was significantly worse than it had been all season during those two games.
Hopefully, that’s not a sign of what’s to come, but the league now knows how good Mobley and the Cavs are. They are no longer going to sneak up on anybody, especially Mobley. He has all the talent to be a great player, so it will be crucial for him to keep up his stellar play throughout the closing stretch.
With that being said, I think Cavs All-Star point guard Darius Garland summed up Mobley best, via Camryn Justice of News 5 Cleveland.
Darius Garland on Evan Mobley:
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) February 20, 2022
"He's literally a unicorn. 7-footer, 20 years old that can do everything so I'm glad to play with him, happy to have him on my team so I don't have to go against him."
Is Ayo Dosunmu the steal of the 2021 NBA Draft? Duh
Admittedly, after the Cavs drafted Evan Mobley with the third pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, I tuned out, to some extent. The Cavs had their guy, and I was happy going forward.
However, I didn’t realize until the next day that former Illinois guard Ayo Dosunmu had slipped to the second round. Not only was he not an immediate selection in the second round, he wasn’t picked up until pick #38 by the Bulls.
Before the draft, scouts questioned his finishing ability and his athleticism. On top of that, his jumper wasn’t great and his range was pretty limited. But, he was a real floor general for a good Illinois team last year, and I didn’t really understand why people were down on him.
Sure, he was a little bit of a “tweener,” meaning he had good size for a point guard, but might be better off playing off the ball. Regardless, to me he was a certified winner and had the look of a longtime successful NBA player. So, now after he’s had a great season thus far, with people asking if he’s the steal of the draft, I answer simply: duh.
Yes, there were reasons to question his transition to the NBA game, but he was a successful college point guard at a power five program, who played with passion and energy, and oh yeah, averaged over 20 points per game his junior year. He has been a key player for a surging Bulls team this year, too. The Bulls have the chance to do a lot in the postseason if DeMar DeRozan keeps playing at the level that he is. If that is the case, Dosunmu will have to play a big part.
Either way, right now the Bulls front office have to be chuckling amongst themselves that they landed a top 10 rookie, in the middle of the second round.