The NBA Rookie of the Year award used to be a prestigious accolade, but it’s now considered so irrelevant that many fans don’t even know who won. What caused this change in perception? It might have something to do with four “non-traditional” rookies making final cuts.
The “nba rookies 2020” is a topic that has been making headlines lately. Scottie Barnes, Evan Mobley and Cade Cunningham are all making NBA Rookie of the Year irrelevant.
Some NBA honors are important, but Scottie Barnes, Evan Mobley, and Cade Cunningham are working hard to make Rookie of the Year a thing of the past in 2021-22.
Sure, one of those three will take home the trophy — barring a late mega-surge from Franz Wagner, who would be a strong candidate virtually every other year — making their fan base glow with pride and unbridled optimism for the future. However, in a season when three players have the potential to be the greatest in the league, that honor is meaningless.
After all, the Toronto Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Detroit Pistons’ first-year stars won’t be done contending after their rookie seasons are up. Whoever wins Rookie of the Year will have that line on their CV for the rest of their lives, but they’ll have to keep improving — and fast — to stay up with the other contenders for the finest career.
Scottie Barnes is the Toronto Raptors’ up-and-coming all-around forward.
*{padding:0;margin:0;overflow:hidden}html,body{height:100%}img,span{position:absolute;width:100%;top:0;bottom:0;margin:auto}span{height:1.5em;text-align:center;font:48px/1.5 sans-serif;color:white;text-shadow:0 0 0.5em black}▶” src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/et2kgYM0OLQ?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen>
Scottie Barnes has gone from “excellent for a first-year player” to “outstanding for virtually any player” since the All-Star break.
He’s averaging 19.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.9 blocks since returning from the midseason celebrations, which started with a 28-point explosion against the Charlotte Hornets. He’s also shot 57.4 percent from the field. He’s had some trouble with his outside shooting, but he’s made up for it by increasing his playmaking duties without a commensurate increase in turnovers and continuing to excel on defense.
Barnes’ wobbly jumper is one of two possible roadblocks to full-fledged superstardom; the other is his preference for playing as a supplementary scorer rather than a primary option, though he has plenty of time to rectify that.
Aside from that, he ticks all the criteria.
According to BBall Index’s defensive flexibility measure, he’s already one of the most adaptable stoppers in the league. Only Juan Toscano-Anderson has a higher percentage of possessions spent guarding point guards, 16.9% against shooting guards, 21.8 percent against small forwards, 20.6 percent against power forwards, and 23.3 percent against centers, as Barnes has spent 17.4% of his possessions guarding point guards, 16.9% against shooting guards, 21.8 percent against small forwards, 20.6 percent against power forwards, and 23.3 percent against centers.
Barnes, who is averaging 20 points per game but has done better on the less glamorous end of the court in 2021-22, has shown that defensive variety is linked with defensive excellence.
It’s not unreasonable to think of him as a potential Defensive Player of the Year contender who can also score 20 points per game and create for his teammates.
For the Cleveland Cavaliers, Evan Mobley serves as a defensive fulcrum with unrestricted offensive potential.
*{padding:0;margin:0;overflow:hidden}html,body{height:100%}img,span{position:absolute;width:100%;top:0;bottom:0;margin:auto}span{height:1.5em;text-align:center;font:48px/1.5 sans-serif;color:white;text-shadow:0 0 0.5em black}▶” src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/bHRu5wiuWRA?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen>
The Cleveland Cavaliers have continued to thrive on defense despite being plagued by injuries throughout the 2021-22 season, placing a cap on their win-loss record while making significant, ahead-of-schedule advancements. Only the Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, and Boston Celtics have higher season-long defensive ratings, and the sample size has become big enough to rule out any randomness.
Because of his shot-blocking skills and inside effort, Jarrett Allen gets the lion’s share of the attention, but Evan Mobley has perhaps been more vital to the team’s success. His ability to stand up to larger players and show off his lateral agility on the perimeter gives him remarkable switchability, and he’s one of the few first-year players who should — not could — make one of the league’s All-Defensive teams.
On offense, he can appear like a LaMarcus Aldridge doppelganger at times.
That’s an obviously ambitious comparison, and he hasn’t earned it with any regularity. However, if you watch him place the ball on the floor from his right elbow and rise for a clean pull-up jumper, you could get a glimpse of it – though fleetingly.
As a three-point shooter, Mobley still has work to do, but he’s already at ease finishing the inside and creating for himself when the chance comes. Though his offensive outputs are inconsistent at this point of his career, the flashes imply infinite offensive potential from a player who is already in the Defensive Player of the Year betting odds.
Cade Cunningham is the Detroit Pistons’ offensive dynamo with amazing feel.
*{padding:0;margin:0;overflow:hidden}html,body{height:100%}img,span{position:absolute;width:100%;top:0;bottom:0;margin:auto}span{height:1.5em;text-align:center;font:48px/1.5 sans-serif;color:white;text-shadow:0 0 0.5em black}▶” src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/WyQBKqnQcBE?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen>
Cade Cunningham would be a better candidate for Rookie of the Year if the honor was awarded to the first-year player who achieved the highest level by the conclusion of the season. However, since it’s intended to be given to the qualifying player who had the greatest overall season, he’s been held back by his injury problems and poor start with the Detroit Pistons.
Cunningham has shown that his presumed restrictions arising from his lack of top-tier explosion were unjustified as he has grown in the Motor City. His game sense is unmatched, enabling him to calmly direct offensive play whether he’s dialing his own number or setting up a teammate with a perfect dish.
He’s averaging 19.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.8 blocks since a breakthrough performance against the Utah Jazz on Jan. 21 in which he began receiving always-on-the-floor treatment from head coach Dwane Casey. His jumper has been erratic, as is typical of rookies, but his accuracy at the charity stripe (87.5 percent) along with his smooth form and remarkable range provide reason for hope about his future development.
He’s been much better since the All-Star break. He’s averaging 22.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 6.0 assists while leading a surprisingly competitive Pistons team to a 5-5 record while scaring a lot of real playoff teams.
Cunningham lacks the defensive prowess of his other featured rookies, but his attacking potential is through the roof and then some.
Ayo Dosunmu, Franz Wagner, Herb Jones, and the finest of the rest
*{padding:0;margin:0;overflow:hidden}html,body{height:100%}img,span{position:absolute;width:100%;top:0;bottom:0;margin:auto}span{height:1.5em;text-align:center;font:48px/1.5 sans-serif;color:white;text-shadow:0 0 0.5em black}▶” src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/ypcIs595arQ?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen>
This first-year crop’s brilliance is that it doesn’t end at three.
For good reason, Scottie Barnes and Evan Mobley are the favorites to earn Rookie of the Year. Cade Cunningham may end the season as the most talented player in his class with the greatest promise, despite the fact that other circumstances prevent him from receiving as much award consideration.
While that triad has such tremendous long-term potential that the award itself seems like it’ll be nothing more than a footnote in years to come, the remainder of this class might join the top three on future All-Star teams.
Franz Wagner is averaging 15.2 points per game for the Orlando Magic, demonstrating his versatility in on- and off-the-court responsibilities. Herb Jones is a defensive terror who suffocates tough assignments and creates havoc in passing lanes, earning him a spot on the first-year All-Defensive team with Mobley. Josh Giddey is a natural passer for an Oklahoma City Thunder team that is effectively rebuilding rather than tanking.
Another stifling defender with attacking potential is Ayo Dosunnmu. In the midst of a difficult season, Chris Duarte has played a solid position for the Indiana Pacers. Jalen Green is improving as a scorer and might follow in the footsteps of Anthony Edwards as a second-year breakout candidate. Jonathan Kuminga defies gravity on a daily basis and is establishing himself as a key player for the Golden State Warriors.
We haven’t yet named Alperen Sengun, Davion Mitchell, Jalon Suggs, Cam Thomas, or Bones Hyland, all of whom have put in stints that have piqued the interest of their respective fan groups.
This class is very exceptional, and it’s not just because the three young men at the helm are already exceptional. Rookie of the Year is a fun competition that will ultimately be inconsequential in the long term.
Unless otherwise stated, all stats are courtesy of Basketball Reference and are current as of March 14.
Ayo Dosunmu, a rookie with the Chicago Bulls, exposes the fatal flaws of analytics-based scouting.
Related Tags
- cade cunningham wingspan
- roty nba
- cade cunningham weight
