Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green, the top two in the 2021 draft, met on the field for the first time on Thursday as professionals.
The game between the Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets provided at least one gimmick to captivate NBA fans: It was the first official showdown between the champions and the top spot in the 2001 draft.
However, "Seem to" is a big phrase because the Pistons' Cade Cunningham and rockets' Jaylen Green had so much work to do early in their careers that they didn't have time to spend on what each other was doing.
In fact, neither has made the top five on the rookie list in NBA.com for three weeks, proving that they both have too slow and tortuous starts.
The Pistons have just lost four straight, coming to the Toyota Center with a 1-8 loss and a bottom-of-the-top record in the East. The Rockets are also in 14th place in the West with a record of 1 win and 9 losses, of course, thanks to the Pelicans, who are the first in the West, who only have 1 win and 10 losses.
Cunningham, 20, has played just four games and missed most of the preseason and five of Detroit's first six games. Green, 19, has been mired in 10 games in Houston with losing, forced shots and offense, and overall inefficiency. He made 13.3 shots per game and scored just 13.6 points.
Have their performance been disappointing? Of course, that's for sure. Just because of their draft positions, the two men were considered favourites to compete for the rookie of the year in preseason. But as some have complained on social media, their performance has been disappointing.
The mediocre performances of the top two make fans wonder about the early performances of other young rookies.
Next, here are the top 5 on this week's 2020-21 NBA official rookie list:
(All statistics as of November 9)
1. Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers
Season stats: 14.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists
This week's stats: 18.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists
Last week's ranking: 2
Evan Mobley scored 26 points against the Knicks.
The first and second places on the rookie list have been playing out in Toronto since last week. They are now swapping positions, but not because Barnes is doing poorly, it's because Mobley is so good. The Cavaliers' big young man came into the spotlight at Madison Square Garden, scoring 26 points, nine rebounds and five assists to help the Cavaliers to four straight wins. He also led the rookie season with an average of 16.1 shots per game. The Cavaliers and Cleveland fans' quick pursuit of Mobley shows this: The Athletic sports media website created "Mobley Mondays" to track the highlights, stats, outside reviews and anecdotes of the 7-foot-tall rookie's season.
2. Scott Barnes, Toronto Raptors
Season stats: 16.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists
This week's stats: 11.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists
Last week's ranking: 1
The thumb sprain injury since this week's statistics cut has left Barnes in just two games. In the game against the Brooklyn Nets, he didn't get a double-digit score, only 8 points. Like other Raptors players, he had to adjust to the return of frontcourt teammate Pascal Siakam after shoulder surgery. But the point is, Coach Nick Nass didn't put the rookie on the bench. Barnes did not budge and continued to start with Siakam and OG Anunoby, who were of equal stature. After the game against the Nets, his opponent Blake Griffin said of Barnes: "Physically, he's ready to go to the NBA. assertive. Scores can be scored in a number of ways. I love his strong cover, tumbling and rebounding. He will be in good shape for a long time. ”
3. Chris Duarte, Indiana Pacers
Season stats: 16.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists
This week's stats: 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists
Last week's ranking: 3
Duarte, like Barnes, also needs to adapt to the role of the team's main player after he returns. Last week, LeVert returned, and he had been sidelined due to back problems. In another month or two, the Pacers expect forward TJ Warren to recover from a foot injury. Both of these things affect Duarte's role, just as he has to shoot and score points to improve the Pacers' offense. Think about it: he's shot 28 times in the last three games and 124 in his first eight games. That's part of the reason Duarte's early stats are remarkable, but his maturity and flexibility still serve him and his team.
4. Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic
Season stats: 13.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists
This week's stats: 8.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists
Last week's ranking: 4
Wagner's score has dropped, and the gap between him and fifth-placed Gidi has narrowed to almost zero. In three games, the Orlando 6-foot-9 forward looks more like a one-size-fits-all glue than a top scorer. Last week he averaged 30.9 minutes per game and shot 35.5 percent from the field, 2-of-13 from 3-point range.
5. Josh Gidy, Oklahoma Thunder
Season stats: 10.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists
This week's stats: 6.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists
Last week's ranking: 5
Gidy's scoring dropped, but his shooting was still poor — in the Thunder's two games, he shot 5-of-19 and 1-of-8 from three-point range. But the 6-foot-8-tall shooting guard continued to show off his passing vision and creativity, helping the Thunder beat the Lakers and Spurs in those two games. His 5.9 assists are significantly ahead of all rookies, and his rebounds have also risen, but his turnovers have also risen (4 this week).
Next 5 rookies:
6. Jaylen Green, Houston Rockets
Season stats: 13.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists
This week's stats: 14.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists
Last week's ranking: 7
Humble Bad Team/High Pick Result: 0 wins, 4 losses, 8.3 losses.
7. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
Season stats: 10.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists
This week's stats: 13.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists
Triple double-doubles = Pistons' fastest double-double since Grant Hill in 1994.
8. Shin Kyung, Houston Rockets
Season stats: 9.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists
This week's stats: 9.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists
Last week's ranking: 8
He averaged 17.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per 36 minutes, while Green had 15.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
9. Davine Mitchell, Sacramento Kings
Season stats: 9.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists
This week's stats: 12.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists
Last week's ranking: 9
He scored only one 9+ in his first six games, averaging 11.2 points in the next five games.
10. Jaylen Sargus, Orlando Magic
Season stats: 12.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists
This week's stats: 9.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists
Last week's ranking: 6
The rise of Cole Antoni could slow Sargas's development.