Rookie Ladder: Mobley Reassumes Command with Barnes in Tow

The 2021 NBA Draft class continues to live up to the hype, as there’s been another lead change.

Budding Cleveland superstar Evan Mobley has reassumed the No. 1 spot on the NBA's rookie ladder from Cade Cunningham, who suffered a hip injury.

Mobley continued to help the young Cavaliers team wade into the uncharted waters of winning, averaging 14.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game on the season.

He’ll be the odds-on favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award heading into the All-Star break.

Just behind Mobley is Raptor phenom Scottie Barnes.

Drafted fourth overall, Barnes too had himself a week, averaging 15.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists in his last few contests.

The close-to defensive-minded pair of Mobley and Barnes are among the only rookies in winning situations, and it’s potentially helping their stock.

Following Cunningham at No. 3 is Oklahoma City’s Josh Giddey, who likely had his best week to date. A measly 17.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists for the do-it-all guard.

Josh Giddey vs. Minnesota — Nick Wosika/USA TODAY Sports

He’s now 4-for-4 on winning the Western Conference rookie of the month award, and will look to continue that streak through the rest of the season.

Despite little team success, Orlando’s Franz Wagner continues to shine. The former Michigan forward is averaged 15.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game on the season.

Wagner would fairly easily be a Rookie of the Year contender in most other seasons, but a stacked class has left him in the middle tier of high-end participants.

Here are the NBA's full rookie ladder standings:

1. Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers

2. Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors

3. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons

4. Josh Giddey, Oklahoma City Thunder

5. Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic

6. Herbert Jones, New Orleans Pelicans

7. Chris Duarte, Indiana Pacers

8. Ayo Dosunmu, Chicago Bulls

9. Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors

T10. Jalen Green, Houston Rockets

T10. Davion Mitchell, Sacramento Kings

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