Cavs’ Evan Mobley stays atop Ladder, but must get more aggressive

After watching the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team come together over All-Star weekend, you really had time to take in how great that group really was. On top of that, as NBA.com writer Steve Aschburner points out, some of them were downright dominant from their rookie season on. There are a number of legends who had incredible rookie years.

Oscar Robertson nearly averaged a triple-double his rookie year, coming up only 0.3 assists per game shy. In Michael Jordan’s rookie year, he averaged over 28 points a night. Although, the most dominant performance of a rookie NBA player came during the 1959-1960 season. Wilt Chamberlain averaged an insane 37.6 points per game, and also grabbed 27 rebounds per game during his rookie season with the then-Philadelphia Warriors.

Obviously those guys played in a different era, and as much as even I like to think that this current era is much better, numbers-wise, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid and company just don’t match up.

However, the past is the past, and I think I speak for a lot of folks when I say, let’s get back into this 2021-2022 season. As we inch closer to the end of the season, the Rookie of the Year Race is looking more and more like it’s going to be a three-man race between Evan Mobley, Scottie Barnes, and Cade Cunningham.

This past month for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Mobley averaged at least 14 points per game, eight rebounds, two assists, a steal, and one and a half blocks per game, becoming the only rookie other than Kevin Garnett to accomplish that feat.

Cunningham is poised to have a great stretch run to finish out his rookie season. After he showed off his all-around game over All-Star Weekend, he came out and scored 17 against the Cavs; it was hardly an effective shooting night, but it was in a win, I must add, in a disappointing game for Cleveland.

Barnes is a bit like Mobley, in that he’s been steady all season. But, while Mobley has had some insane blocks, and some incredible dunks that blow your mind, Barnes really hasn’t “wowed” fans a ton this season. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, as I do think he’s been the second-best rookie this season. It’s just easy to see why Cunningham might leap him in the coming weeks.

Unfortunately, Oklahoma City Thunder rookie guard Josh Giddey was sidelined with hip soreness after the break, and Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault indicated he may be out for a while. That would make it very hard to keep up the pace of the three at the top.

Outside of Giddey, being injured, Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner is still playing incredible basketball. He’s one of only five players to start every game for his team this season. So if showing up really is 75% of the battle, consider the ROY Wagner’s. However, his Magic team have been very disappointing this season, so his chances look to be going down considerably. Here’s a look at this week’s full ladder rankings:

Rookie Ladder (Extended To 12)

1. Evan Mobley, Forward, Cavaliers
2. Scottie Barnes, Forward, Toronto Raptors
3. Cade Cunningham, Guard, Detroit Pistons
4. Franz Wagner, Forward, Magic
5. Josh Giddey, Guard, Thunder
6. Ayo Dosunmu, Guard, Chicago Bulls
7. Herbert Jones, Forward, New Orleans Pelicans
8. Jalen Green, Guard, Houston Rockets
9. Chris Duarte, Guard, Indiana Pacers
10. Jalen Suggs, Guard, Magic
11. Jonathan Kuminga, Forward, Golden State Warriors
12. Cam Thomas, Guard, Brooklyn Nets

Filling out the final five rungs on our ladder are a couple of guys who have been steady all season, combined with a few players who are rising up the board. Dosunmu and Jones have been staples at the six and seven rungs for nearly two months now. They will both be keys for a playoff push from both teams, on opposite sides of the playoff bracket.

A really bad effort in the dunk contest may have lit a match under Rockets guard Jalen Green who has been on fire since the break. He’s also doing it against some of the ladder’s highest-ranked players. Suggs and Kuminga both have sky-high potential, and Thomas and Duarte could become All-Star-caliber guards on their respective teams, if they aren’t traded at some point.

Overall, I think we’re finally seeing how well-rounded this rookie class has been thus far into the season.

It’s Mobley’s trophy to lose, but the Cavs have to get back on the winning track

Even though I said that the Rookie of the Year Award was coming down to a three-man race, it really is Mobley’s to lose on one condition. The Cavs have to keep winning the way they did for much of the season, and up until recently, really.

After a string of injuries hit the Cavaliers, they’ve lost five of six, going back to before the All-Star break. Without All-Star point guard Darius Garland in three of those games, and even some with him, the team has looked inept on offense at times. But it’s not only the offense that has been struggling, as in three of those losses, Cleveland conceded at least 119 points.

With that being said, Mobley has proven he’s a game-changer, even as a rookie, so I have a feeling he’ll step up when called upon.

Since the break, Mobley has averaged only 12.5 points per game while also shooting only 44.2% from the field. On top of that, his gargantuan lead in plus-minus among rookies has also taken a bit of a hit. However, the good news is that he’s taking more shots.

With Garland out in three of the four games, there had never been a better time for Mobley to experiment with his range, and take more control on the offensive end. Garland did return on Wednesday against the Charlotte Hornets, but I also would not mind seeing Mobley initiate the offense more in general. He’s a high-level passer as a big, and along with that, he’s already comfortable at the elbow, and low post.

Cunningham is closing strong, and is that Green?

As I briefly alluded to in the beginning of the article, I do think the Rookie of the Year will eventually come down to Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley. However, just as Mobley has a condition to stay at the top, Cunningham does as well. He needs to stay healthy.

A healthy Cunningham would likely average around 18 points per game, and also fill up the stat sheet with assists, steals and rebounds. Having said that, he struggled with multiple injuries in the beginning of the season, even missing all of training camp and preseason. But, when he plays he’s a joy to watch. He has incredible basketball IQ, and he plays the game with a calmness to him, kind of like Luka Doncic. I expect Cunningham to make a huge push for the Rookie of the Year down the stretch run of the season.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, before I leave you for the week, we have to talk about Jalen Green’s play since the All-Star break. I think we can all agree that the Dunk Contest he participated in was possibly the worst ever. However, maybe it’s exactly what Green needed.

Since the break, he’s averaged nearly 18 points per game, while his shooting percentage has also gone up. There’s no doubt that Green has a lot of talent, and it looks like he’s finally starting to shine a bit. Unfortunately, the Rockets look to be bottom-dwellers this season.

On a positive note for them, the consolation prize may be Chet Holmgren or Jabari Smith. Not too shabby.