Even though there was indeed a rookie ladder released last week, it was more of an update on how the top rookies vying for the Rookie of the Year stacked up after the All-Star break. Well, just one week later, it seems as if the chase for the coveted award is down to two, possibly three rookies.
Evan Mobley, Cade Cunningham, and Scottie Barnes were the third, first, and fourth picks in the 2021 NBA Draft. As we inch closer to the playoffs, all three will have the spotlight on them to perform at a high level. Heck, with the way Jalen Green has been playing in Houston, it would not surprise me if he becomes a dark-horse for the award.
With all that being said, NBA.com writer Steve Aschburner and I seem to be in lock-step once again with our weekly ladder rankings.
At the top of the ladder, where he’s been for the majority of the season, is where Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley sits. In Tuesday night’s game versus the Indiana Pacers, Mobley had another solid outing, finishing with 22 points and 12 rebounds on 8-of-15 shooting from the floor. Now, even more pressure will be on him as he will likely take over as the starting center for the Cavaliers after Jarrett Allen’s recent injury; Cleveland’s recent 10-day signing of Moses Brown could cut into some Mobley center minutes, though, assuredly.
Trailing Mobley is the ever-exciting Cade Cunningham. In his last two games, both wins over Indiana and the Atlanta Hawks, he averaged 24 points, 7.5 assist and 6.5 rebounds per game. He has the talent to overtake Mobley if he slips up.
Coming in third this week, is the Toronto Raptors’ Scottie Barnes from there. Barnes has been fantastic all season, even drawing praise from Vince Carter, via Sportsnet and h/t Aschburner.
"“You can throw him in any position, he can guard any position, and he can play any position. … You have a star in the making already.”"
Following Barnes is the Orlando Magic’s Franz Wagner. Wagner, unfortunately, is just a great player that is being overlooked by bigger stars. He is the only rookie to score over 1,000 points already this season, and he’s accounted for 15% of the entire Magic offensive output.
Finally, falling to fifth this week is the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Josh Giddey. He hasn’t played since the break, and it’s very possible that Oklahoma City shuts him down. It is a real bummer, considering he’s been the best rookie by far in the Western Conference.
For the rest of the ladder, let’s take a look at the full rankings this week:
Rookie Ladder Rankings
- Evan Mobley, Forward/Center, Cavaliers
- Cade Cunningham, Guard, Detroit Pistons
- Scottie Barnes, Forward, Raptors
- Franz Wagner, Forward, Magic
- Josh Giddey, Guard, Thunder
- Jalen Green, Guard, Houston Rockets
- Ayo Dosunmu, Guard, Chicago Bulls
- Herbert Jones, Forward, New Orleans Pelicans
- Jonathan Kuminga, Forward, Golden State Warriors
- Chris Duarte, Guard, Pacers