Tag: Evan Mobley

2021 NBA Draft: 10 bold predictions from the preseason revisited

Rookie Wire made 10 bold predictions for the 2021-22 rookie class and made a vow to come back and see how we did.

Rookie Wire offered 10 bold predictions for the 2021-22 rookie class last October and made a vow at the time to come back after the season and see just how we did.

Well, it is that time to look back and review the results.

Our annual revisit of these bold predictions is our favorite time of the year. It typically just consists of us trying to convince basketball fans why we made the picks and why they should have come true, but ultimately didn’t.

Upon further review, this year proved to be no different.

Several predictions fell well short of expectations but to be fair, we were pretty close on a few. We just ask that you don’t alert the authorities at Freezing Cold Takes about the ones we missed badly on.

Here are the latest results with the verdict from each prediction.

NBA All-Rookie: Barnes, Mobley, Cunningham headline first team

The three players were unanimous selections to the first team, receiving votes on all 100 ballots.

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley and Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham headlined the NBA All-Rookie first team announced on Wednesday.

The three players were unanimous selections to the first team, receiving votes on all 100 ballots from a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. They were the three finalists for Rookie of the Year, which was awarded to Barnes last month.

Joining the trio are Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner and Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green. Wagner received 84 first-place votes while Green garnered 58 in the final tally.

The voting was conducted without consideration for the positions.

2021-22 NBA All-Rookie First Team

Player First Team Votes Second Team Votes Total Points
Scottie Barnes 100 0 200
Cade Cunningham 100 0 200
Evan Mobley 100 0 200
Franz Wagner 84 15 183
Jalen Green 58 42 158

New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones narrowly edged out Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey for the most points on the second team. They are joined by Denver Nuggets guard Bones Hyland, Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu and Indiana Pacers guard Chris Duarte.

2021-22 NBA All-Rookie Second Team

Player First Team Votes Second Team Votes Total Points
Herb Jones 32 59 123
Josh Giddey 24 74 122
Bones Hyland 0 81 81
Ayo Dosunmu 2 71 75
Chris Duarte 0 52 52

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Kevin Love: Evan Mobley should have won Rookie of the Year

Mobley turned in a tremendous season with the Cavaliers and Love thought he should have won Rookie of the Year.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley turned in a tremendous rookie campaign this season, and came up just short of winning Rookie of the Year. In fact, the final tally went down as the closest race in history.

Cavaliers forward Kevin Love thought Mobley should have won.

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes was crowned the Rookie of the Year last month after receiving 48 of the 100 first-place votes from a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. He finished with 378 total points, topping the 363 points for Mobley.

It was the smallest margin in the balloting under the current voting format, which began in the 2002-03 season.

Certainly, the Rookie of the Year race proved to be rather difficult to predict with Mobley and Barnes battling back and forth throughout the year. Detroit Pistons guard and finalist Cade Cunningham also had a case to win, despite a slow start to the year.

Love, speaking with Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report, was impressed by Mobley.

I think it’s going to be when it’s all said and done, you’re going to say, ‘Kevin Love took a backseat to Evan Mobley.’ I saw him and I’m like, ‘Oh, wow! I get it.’ I’m obviously biased but I thought he should have won Rookie of the Year. I know it was a very close battle. Scottie Barnes is a beast. Cade Cunningham: Awesome player. I love Evan’s makeup. I love his brain and how he lets everything come to him.

Love thoroughly loved what Mobley brought to the Cavaliers this season and often sung his praises all year long. He believes Mobley can become a perennial All-Defensive player and a consistent double-double threat each night.

Certainly, the tight finish this season in the Rookie of the Year voting further demonstrated how talented the class is. It could go down as one of the best ever with Mobley and Barnes leading the way, and several others right behind them.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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OKC Thunder news: Josh Giddey fails to finish top six in Rookie of the Year voting

Herb gets to be a top-six finisher? What a sick joke!

The NBA announced the Rookie of the Year winner along with the top-six finishers in voting on Saturday and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey was notably left off the list.

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes ended up winning the award by 15 voting points. The top six went as followed:

  • Barnes at 378 points
  • Evan Mobley at 363 points
  • Cade Cunningham at 153 points
  • Jalen Green at three points
  • Franz Wagner at two points
  • Herb Jones at one point

The fact that Giddey didn’t make the list is pretty ridiculous. Even with him missing the final third of the season due to a hip injury, Giddey’s two-thirds of play were dominant enough that he warranted a top-six finish. Giddey won the Western Conference Rookie of the Month every month that he played in and four of the five times overall this season.

If it’s an availability issue as Giddey missed 28 games, it’s unfair to measure him against someone like Jones in terms of games played due to uneven minutes distributions. Despite playing 24 more games, Jones played just 68 total more minutes than Giddey this season

Giddey averaged 12.5 points, 7.8 rebound and 6.4 assists in 54 games this season. Giddey secured four triple doubles, which is tied for the seventh most amount for a rookie in league history.

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Rookie of the Year: Voting appears to be down to 2 candidates

The NBA announced the three finalists for Rookie of the Year but it appears the voting could be down to just two candidates.

On Sunday, the NBA announced the three finalists for the Rookie of the Year award but it appears as though the voting could be down to just two candidates.

Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley and Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes were announced as the three finalists based on the voting results from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters.

With the results in, HoopsHype obtained 24 ballots from those media members that disclosed their votes, either publicly or privately. Based on the initial look at the voting, it appears that Mobley and Barnes are the front-runners to win.

(Numbers in parentheses show the percentage of points relative to the maximum amount possible for each award.)

  1. Evan Mobley (78.33%)
  2. Scottie Barnes (68.33%)
  3. Cade Cunningham (33.33%)

Mobley averaged 15 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.7 blocks in 69 games. He led all first-year players in rebounding, blocked shots and double-doubles (21). He was one of two players this season to average at least 14 points, eight rebounds and 1.5 blocks on 50% shooting.

Barnes finished averaging 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.1 steals in 74 games. He was third in scoring, third in rebounding and fourth in steals. He was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month from February to April.

Of course, the 24 ballots only provide a look at about one-quarter of the voting so the final results could change. However, it offers a tremendous view of how some media members view the Rookie of the Year race this year.

The race for the annual award appears to be as competitive as it has been in quite some time. The two front-runners each have a strong case to win, and there is no clear-cut choice to win. The final voting results figure to be very close and could go down as one of the tightest races ever.

The winner will be announced on TNT during its coverage of the playoffs.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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NBA unveils the finalists for the Rookie of the Year award

The NBA on Sunday announced the three contenders for the Rookie of the Year award.

On Sunday, the NBA unveiled the three finalists for the Rookie of the Year award on TNT based on the voting results from a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.

Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley and Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes were announced as the three contenders for the award after strong individual performances this season.

Cunningham led the rookie class in scoring average after posting 17.4 points, 5.6 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 64 games. He was second in assists and third in steals. Cunningham became the youngest player in team history to register a triple-double at 20 years, 57 days.

Mobley averaged 15 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.7 blocks in 69 games. He led all first-year players in rebounding, blocked shots and double-doubles (21). He was one of two players this season to average at least 14 points, eight rebounds and 1.5 blocks on 50% shooting.

Barnes finished averaging 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.1 steals in 74 games. He was third in scoring, third in rebounding and fourth in steals. He was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month from February to April.

The race for the annual award appears to be as competitive as it has been in quite some time. The three players each have a strong case to win, and there is no clear-cut choice to win. The final voting results figure to be very close and could go down as one of the tightest races in history.

The rookie class has dazzled throughout the season and could emerge as one of the best ever. The conversation for Rookie of the Year will escalate, but the spirited debate further highlights how impressive the group has been this season.

The winner will be announced on TNT during its coverage of the playoffs.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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NBA players react to Hawks beating Cavaliers in play-in game

Trae Young scored 32 of his 38 total points in the second half to lead the Hawks to a victory over the Cavaliers in the play-in tournament.

Trae Young scored 32 of his 38 total points in the second half on Friday to lead the Atlanta Hawks to a 107-101 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the play-in tournament.

Atlanta trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half before cutting the deficit to 10 points at halftime. Young had only six points at the intermission but fueled a monstrous run in the second half to lead the Hawks back and claim the win and the eighth seed.

Young produced 16 points in the third and fourth quarters as Atlanta outscored Cleveland 56-40 in the second half. Behind an 11-0 run early in the fourth quarter, Young & Co. took their largest lead of the game at nine points and were able to hang on the rest of the way.

The Hawks will face the Miami Heat in the first round on Sunday.

Lauri Markkanen led the Cavaliers with 26 points and eight rebounds while Darius Garland had 21 points and nine assists. Rookie of the Year front-runner Evan Mobley added 18 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two blocks.

The loss capped off a disappointing finish to the season for the Cavaliers after sitting as high as third in the East. They were then battered by injuries and went 10-17 the rest of the way to drop down to eighth and a trip to the play-in tournament.

With the contest taking over front and center, several players from around the NBA were watching and tweeting along throughout the game. They provided some great reactions to the Hawks pulling out the win.

Evan Mobley reveals Cavs mindset ahead of must-win play-in game

Mobley revealed how the Cavaliers are approaching their play-in game on Friday versus the Hawks.

Ahead of their biggest game of the season, Evan Mobley revealed how the Cleveland Cavaliers are approaching their play-in game versus the Atlanta Hawks.

The Cavaliers (44-38) will host the Hawks (43-39) on Friday in a win-or-go-home situation. The winner will secure the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference and face the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs. The loser will get a head start on their offseason plans.

Cleveland struggled down the stretch of the season to find itself in this position. The team was third in the standings on Feb. 11 but, because of several key injuries, went just 10-17 the rest of the way to drop to eighth, right in the play-in group.

They lost to the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday for the seventh seed and will now have one more chance on Friday to keep their season alive. The Cavaliers, as Mobley explained on Thursday, will need to jump on the Hawks early.

Just go out there and go get it. It is going to be a tough game, win or go home for both teams. We just got to go out there and play with fierceness and really take it to your opponent. We’ve been a surprise but we’re definitely looking for more and want to get to the playoffs and even go far in the playoffs. That’s what we’re striving for and that’s what we’re going to try to do.

Darius Garland led the way for the Cavaliers against the Nets with 34 points, while Mobley had 19 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots. Despite Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant combining for 59 points, Cleveland was only down by a few possessions late in the game.

The Cavaliers will certainly use that as a positive heading into their matchup on Friday. They could also get Jarrett Allen back after missing the past month of action due to a finger injury. He is reportedly “50-50” to play versus the Hawks.

If the regular season is any indication, they will need all of the help they can get versus Atlanta. Of their four matchups, the Cavaliers won just one of them and will enter play on Friday as home underdogs, according to the Tipico Sportsbook.

With their season on the line, the Cavaliers will be looking to continue their strong run by posting a win over the Hawks. They have their work cut out for them, but appear to be ready to go.

The contest on Friday will tip off at 7:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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ESPN’s Zach Lowe reveals 2021-22 NBA All-Rookie teams

Lowe revealed his official ballot on Thursday with the three likely Rookie of the Year front-runners leading way for the first team.

With the 2021-22 regular season now wrapped up, several members of the media have started to reveal their official ballots for the end-of-season awards voting.

A panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters are responsible for casting ballots for Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and several other categories. Included in the voting are the All-Rookie teams, which are voted on without consideration for positions.

Zach Lowe of ESPN, who is a voter, revealed his official ballot on Thursday with the three likely Rookie of the Year front-runners leading way in Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley and Scottie Barnes.

2021-22 NBA All-Rookie first team

Player Team
Cade Cunningham Detroit Pistons
Evan Mobley Cleveland Cavaliers
Scottie Barnes Toronto Raptors
Franz Wagner Orlando Magic
Herb Jones New Orleans Pelicans

Currently, four of the five first-team players appear to be locked in on most ballots with Cunningham, Mobley, Barnes and Wagner. Lowe revealed the only decision to make came down to the fifth pick and it was between Jones and Jalen Green of the Houston Rockets.

He ultimately went with Jones with Green falling to the second team.

2021-22 NBA All-Rookie second team

Player Team
Jalen Green Houston Rockets
Alperen Sengun Houston Rockets
Bones Hyland Denver Nuggets
Ayo Dosunmu Chicago Bulls
Josh Giddey Oklahoma City Thunder

Lowe explained that Giddey would have made the first team but ultimately dropped to the second team due to the number of games he missed. He appeared in only 54 games and played in only one game after the All-Star break due to a hip injury.

Said Lowe:

The only drama on first team was the final spot, which came down to Jones and Green. Had Giddey played more games, that spot was his.

With such a good rookie class this year, there were plenty of candidates to choose from for the 10 spots across the two teams. Of course, there are going to be plenty of snubs from the All-Rookie teams and some solid players are going to be left off.

The voting for Rookie of the Year and the All-Rookie teams will certainly be worth monitoring when the results are released by the NBA. The two categories look to be among the most competitive this year, which left voters with something serious to consider.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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2021 NBA draft class: Final rookie stat leaders for the 2021-22 season

Rookie Wire took a look back at which first-year players were among the leaders in scoring, rebounding, assists and more.

With the 2021-22 regular season wrapped up, observers of the NBA can now take a look back at the year that was and evaluate how each player performed, including the rookie class.

The group played at a high level throughout the season with several individuals emerging as potential future All-Stars. As a result, the Rookie of the Year voting is expected to be highly competitive with as many as five players in the running to win.

Rookie Wire took a look back at how the class performed and which players were among the leaders in key statistical categories, including scoring, rebounding and assists.

Note: Stat leaders are according to NBA.com.