NBA Rookie Of The Year Watch: Mar. 3
While last season’s race for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Award was not very tight, as Lamelo Ball was the clear favorite with Anthony Edwards being the only true competitor, this year’s race is extremely close between three young stars who are cementing themselves as cornerstones for their respective franchises.
While this year’s rookie class has been pretty outstanding overall, here’s a look at these three that have stood out the most.
Evan Mobley
The Cleveland Cavaliers might be the league’s biggest surprise this season and Mobley’s instant impact is a major reason for that.
The third overall pick out of USC played his lone college season as a center but has seamlessly converted to power forward at the next level, already establishing himself as one of the league’s best.
Mobley is currently averaging 14.9 points and 8.1 rebounds, showcasing his athleticism and touch around the rim while also playing very high-level defense and being one of the anchors for the Cavs who have the fourth highest defensive rating in the NBA.
Cade Cunningham
After a slow start to his rookie campaign that included injury problems and poor shooting, Cunningham has been playing like the generational prospect evaluators envisioned throughout the draft process.
His 16.1 points per game are the most among all rookies and his 5.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists show some nice balance in his stats that not many rookies have.
Cunningham also put up a career-high 34 points against the Nuggets this season which is more than most players can put up in through their sophomore season let alone halfway through their first.
The only thing holding Cunningham back right now is his poor efficiency, shooting just 39.9 percent from the field and 31.6 percent from three-point range.
Scottie Barnes
Barnes was the runaway favorite to earn the title of Rookie of the Year early in the season due to his efficient scoring and high-level defense. While the race has certainly tightened, he is still very much in the mix for the award.
Barnes has already established himself as one of the better defenders in the NBA, but he has been surprisingly effective on the offensive end as well.
The two-way threat is averaging 14.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, so just slightly lower than Mobley in both categories. He is also shooting at a slightly lower percentage with a still-solid 48.9 percent from the field.
While Mobley and Cunningham have the advantage in terms of offensive stats, Barnes’s defense is superior to both and has been a major reason why he remains firmly in the race for Rookie of the Year.
Jakob Schnur is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jks6463@psu.edu
