Cleveland Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley has apparently lost to Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes in balloting for the 2021-22 NBA Rookie of the Year.
Toronto Raptors‘ Scottie Barnes has won the 2021-22 NBA Rookie of the Year, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 23, 2022
The 20-year-old Mobley was the third overall player taken in the 2021 NBA Draft. During his time on the court for the Cavaliers this season, he delivered a strong rookie campaign that helped turn around what had been a struggling Cavaliers franchise.
In 69 regular season games for the Cavs, Mobley averaged 15.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.7 blocks per game.
Barnes was chosen by the Raptors just after Mobley with the fourth overall pick. In 74 regular season games, Barnes averaged 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.1 steals per contest.
While the news likely comes as a disappointment to Mobley, he’s hopefully just begun what has the potential to be a long and productive NBA career. The Cavaliers are certainly in a position to keep him as part of the organization for a long time.
