In a tight race between Mobley, Cade Cunningham and Scottie Barnes, the Cavs’ big injury could turn the tide, especially if Mobley is sidelined for several games. Evan Mobley had his worst week as a rookie this season in addition to an injury, which can jeopardize his lead in the Rookie of the Year award race.
“It gutted us to lose Evan, whether it’s for a game, two games, three games or whatever it may be,” Kevin Love said on Mobley’s injury, via NBA.com. “We need to keep fighting and hope that he recovers quickly and can be out there with us because he means so much to the team.”
Mobley started the week on a 0-2 record with losses against Toronto and Chicago. He shot 4-of-13 against the Bulls, and then suffered an ankle sprain against Orlando on Monday. According to NBA.com, he still leads the race thanks to his ability to keep an injury-plagued team like Cleveland afloat, especially in the defensive end.
Cade Cunnigham made a statement performance vs Kevin Durant and the star-studded Nets Tuesday. He scored 29 of his 34 points after halftime vs Brooklyn, earning the praise of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Cunningham has amped up his game during March, with averages of 22.5 points on 47 percent shooting from the field.
Scottie Barnes has continued his impressive run with the red-hot Toronto Raptors contributing directly to a 3-0 record that brought Toronto over Cleveland in the Eastern Conference standings. The rookie became the first Class of 2021 member to reach 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in a season surpassing Evan Mobley.
Both Cunningham and Barnes have their own case for the best rookie of the season. However, Evan Mobley’s steady play and maturity all season keeps him ahead for the 2022 Rookie of the Year award. The season has less than two weeks in its calendar for Barnes and Cunningham to turn the tide.
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