Evan Mobley and Scotty Barnes had blocked parties; Franzwagna showed off his passing skills
Barnes and Mobley both have 5 blocks in their last game
It's another week, another NBA rookie ranking, and this time we've seen great defensive performances from first-year players. I've said before that this is probably our strongest defensive draft in a long time, and it's impressive to see these young players still maintain their strength against the best players in the league. If that's what rookies like Evan Mobley, Scott Barnes and David Mitchell are capable of defending when they first enter the league, then I can only imagine how good they'll be defending at their peak.
Continuing this week's rankings, keep in mind that these will only reflect how the rookie has performed over the past week, not the entire season. These are not rankings on the Rookie of the Year list. With that sorted out, let's take a look at the league's best-performing rookie.
1. Evan Mobley
Last week, he averaged 12.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2 blocks per game, shooting 52.4 percent.
The Cavaliers took a four-game winning streak against the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat last week. Mobley played a big part in this four-game winning streak. Against the Bulls, Mobley set the first five-block record for a rookie of the season, and my gosh, it's a sight worth seeing:
Mobley overpowered the Bulls on the inside, and for the Bulls, who should have had no problems on the inside, every basket shot of the game became very difficult. The Cavaliers' defensive prowess against top teams like the Bulls underscores Mobley's importance on the defensive end. His role is not just in terms of guarding the basket. Mobley can defend on the wing and at the back, and due to his height, he is likely to influence the jump shot as much as he does on the inside.
If you're wondering how much of an impact Mobley has had on the Cleveland Cavaliers' defense, consider the Cavaliers' defensive efficiency this season after the Golden State Warriors, ranking second. By contrast, the Cavaliers were 25th defensively ranked a season ago, and their roster remained largely unchanged, and it's not hard to see why Mobley is the reason for their significant improvement on the defensive end.
2. Scotty Barnes
Last week he averaged 15.3 points, 9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 3 blocks and 1 steal per game
Barnes made sure Mobley wasn't the only rookie to enjoy a five-block game when he scored five blocks against the Sacramento Kings last week:
He wreaked havoc on the inside, and that was only a small part of what he did in that victory. Barnes also ended another steady week with 16 points, four rebounds and two assists. It feels like different aspects of the Barnes D game are shining every week, whether it's the improved three-point shooting percentage he's shown over the past few weeks, the steady scoring, or the tenacious defense against some of the league's top players. Barnes influenced the game in many ways and he was doing something positive every moment on the pitch to help the team win.
3. Franzwagna
Last week he averaged 19.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3 assists per game, shooting 55.3 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from three-point range.
Despite losing, Wagner has scored 20 points in two consecutive games against the Lakers and Clippers over the past week. Even better, this also happened in the Magic's back-to-back matches, which were even more impressive for the rookies.
While his scoring ability has been good since the start of the season, what has been most impressive about Wagner over the past few weeks is his progress in passing. Since the beginning of December, Wagner has averaged 4.2 assists per game. That's almost double his average assists per game (2.7) in 15 games in November, a significant improvement from 1.9 in October. Wagner's progress in this area shows his progress over the past two months, which is good news for the Magic.
4. Cade Cunningham
Last week he averaged 21 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.7 steals per game
Cunningham's scoring has largely broken through, and it seems that for the rest of the season, his average of 20 points per night will be the norm. He did have a poor shooting performance in last week's loss to the Pelicans, shooting 5-of-17 and 2-of-7. But it boiled down to a bad night of shooting, especially since he came after 9-of-18 shooting and 5-of-8 shooting, tying down his career-high 26 points. This inconsistent performance was to be expected on a rookie, but cunningham had a lot less bad shooting nights than a few weeks ago.
5. David Mitchell
Last week, he averaged 12.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range.
Mitchell completely defended Garland. Even Aaron's weak cover could not save him. Mitchell predicted Garland's every dribble, hesitation and crossover, which led Garland to get an offensive foul as he used his forearm to create a little space for Mitchell to break through. Mitchell's defense in possession is world-class. In addition to tight defense, Mitchell had a rebound week in terms of efficiency after shooting 35.5 percent from both the field and three-point range. It's an encouraging sign because if he can't shoot as much as the Kings need, then he's a black hole in offense, and all the great work on defense will be worthless.
6. Alperen-Shentin
Last week he averaged 11.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 blocks per game
The Rockets are really starting to take full advantage of Shinkin's capabilities, which also reflects how the Nuggets used defending MVP Nikola Jokic. Shin Kyung's passing ability outside of the low post is excellent, and every week he constantly surpasses himself in the type of pass to his teammates:
As a centre forward, his patience when he gets the ball is unique. He'll keep the ball until he sees an opportunity to assist his teammates to score, which works for the Rockets, who have already started to turn the season around.
7. James Bucknett
Last week, he averaged 13 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range.
The Charlotte Hornets have had five players trigger the league's health and safety deals over the past two weeks, giving the No. 11 rookie some playing time in the process. Buknette showed off his three-point shooting ability, steady run-of-the-ball and the potential he could create for himself. His 24 points against the Kings last week was a highlight, showing the Hornets that Buknet could step up for the challenge when needed.
8. Cameron Thomas
He averaged 12 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1 assist per game last week
Thomas' role with the Nets has grown due to injuries with the Nets, and he has recently received high praise from teammate Durant. Thomas scored 11 points and six rebounds in the Brooklyn Nets' win over the Hawks and ended the night with a team-high plus-minus of +16, with Durant saying a lot of good things about the rookie. "I liked that he wanted the ball and wanted to take the pressure off me and James (Harden) in that moment. I love playing with Thomas and being with him every day. It's good to surround this energy. "As of today, Brooklyn has seven players who meet the league's health and safety standards, and Thomas Jr.'s playing time is only going to increase, so we'll see more of him in the coming weeks."
9. Brandon Boston Jr
Last week he averaged 11.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1.7 steals per game
Without Paul George, the Clippers beat the Celtics last week, all because of Brandon Boston Jr.'s outstanding performance on the bench. The 2021 NBA Draft no. 51 pick contributed 27 points to the Clippers, an eye-opening performance for the Clippers. He can shoot three-pointers, dribble the ball to get defenders to the basket, and complete the conversion. Although Boston wasn't as lucky in his next two games — seven points against the Magic and none against the Suns — he still showed great potential as a role player.
10. Chris Duarte
He averaged 11.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.3 steals last week
Against the Knicks, Duarte started the week with a stellar 23-pointer, while he also finished with six assists and three rebounds. But it got worse and worse after this game. In the loss to the Warriors, the week ended with just 3 points on 1-of-6 shooting. But then again, not many teams do well against the league's top defenses. Still, he struggled with the Mavericks against a team full of defensive holes, shooting 2-of-10. But Duarte's game wasn't just about scoring, but his defense was still outstanding at the other end of the pitch. The Pacers may consider trading some of their main players, and we could see more opportunities to give Duarte, but for now, he's still influencing the game in several ways, even if his shooting percentage is poor.