Heading into last year’s draft, many agreed the 2021 NBA Draft class was littered with promising young talent. Throughout the season, multiple rookies have shown they will be good players for years to come. It also led to a tight race for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award.
For majority of the season, Evan Mobley and Scottie Barnes were the frontrunners for ROY. Following a strong second half of the season, number one pick Cade Cunningham is also in the mix.
While any of these young talents are worthy of the honors, an NBA executive recently told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype why it should go to the Raptors’ forward.
“He’s the only rookie this season to rank in the Top 5 in every major statistical category, and he’s doing so with a combination of averages that put him among an elite class of rookies all-time, the most recent being Luka Doncic. But stats aside, if impacting team success on the court is taken into account for the Rookie of the Year award like it is MVP and All-Star honors, Barnes has been the most impactful rookie in the NBA this year from start to finish.”
In today’s position-less game, players who can do a little bit of everything are a luxury. Scottie Barnes’ Swiss army knife ability has made him one of the most intriguing young players in the league.
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The Raptors shocked many by selecting him fourth overall in the draft, but it proved to be the right decision.
So far this season, Barnes is posting averages of 15.4 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 3.5 APG, and 1.1 SPG. He has even boosted his production to close the year, scoring close to 18 points a night since the All-Star break.
On top of this, he is an everyday starter on a Raptors team that continues to sneak up the Eastern Conference standings.
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Before the Cavaliers went into a tailspin, the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award looked like Evan Mobley’s to lose. Between his nightly production and the Toronto Raptors closing in on a top-four seed, Scottie Barnes might be the new frontrunner as the regular season comes to an end.
