The NBA Rookie of the Year race is heating up. Three rookies, in particular, have distinguished themselves from the rest of the pack. With just a little over five weeks left in the season, it will be interesting to see who can claim the award. For now, these rookies are working to continue their strong seasons while others are helping their teams towards the playoffs. Let’s see where the top five rookies rank for this week.
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5. Josh Giddey, SF, Oklahoma City Thunder
Giddey had been dealing with an injury at the end of February. This hip soreness was the initial pain, but Giddey managed to play through it before missing four straight games. The soreness flared up on Feb. 25, and Giddey was a late scratch from the lineup versus the Indiana Pacers. Head coach Mark Daigneault announced that the team had ruled him out for the next two weeks to deal with the injury. “We’re trying to balance development but also being cautious and being wise with how we handle every player in every circumstance. We’ll know a lot more in a couple of weeks to see how he responds to the treatment he is getting right now,” Daigneault said.
4. Franz Wagner, SF, Orlando Magic
This week, Wagner was on his game when he scored 28 points against the Pacers Wednesday. He also grabbed six rebounds, showing that he’s a real threat on the offensive end. The Berlin, Germany native also scored 11 and 15 points against the Toronto Raptors and Memphis Grizzlies. His sharpshooting abilities have noticed the league as the rookie continues his great first year.
3. Scottie Barnes, SF, Toronto Raptors
Barnes was another rookie who had a great week. Barnes squared up with Cade Cunningham as their two teams squared off Thursday. Barnes would go on to have a double-double as he scored 21 points to go along with 10 rebounds. He added 10 against the Magic before scoring 19 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Barnes is making a strong case for rookie of the year as the season comes to a close.
2. Cade Cunningham, PG, Detroit Pistons
As of late, Cunningham has been on fire, scoring 20 plus points in four straight games. He also had his seventh double-double of the season with this impressive stat. The Arlington, Texas native scored 22 points and 12 rebounds against the Raptors. In an overtime win, he also added a double-double against Pistons Monday night. He scored 28 points while recording 10 assists. The Rookie of the Year is turning into a three-person race.
1. Evan Mobley, C, Cleveland Cavaliers
As of now, Mobley is the current favorite to win Rookie of the Year. He’s been the most dominant rookie all year and has significantly impacted Cleveland’s current playoff seeding. Mobley leads all rookies in blocked shots and rebounds as well. In his last game against the Raptors, he finished with 20 points, 17 rebounds, and four assists. He is the first Cavaliers rookie with a 20 point, 15 rebound game since LeBron James. While he may be the favorite for Rookie of the Year. Barnes and Cunningham are on his tail.
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Main Image Credit: From CBS Sports
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