NBA Rookie Rankings: Raptors' Scottie Barnes makes history vs. Nets; Tre Mann has impressive week for Thunder

 

With the trade deadline over and All-Star Weekend in the books, we're finally into the home stretch of the 2021-22 regular season. There's about six weeks left before the playoffs begin, and we're going to start to see which rookies still have enough left in the tank to finish the year strong, and which of them may slow down. This is the point in the season where that term "rookie wall" is most often used, as the effects of a long NBA season start to creep up on first-year players. 

We'll also get to see a lot of in-game development for guys who play for teams headed for the lottery. This is the time when rebuilding teams start to plan for next season as they've already waved the white flag for this year, and give the young players a bit more freedom to work with in games. 

Let's move on to this week's rankings. Remember these will reflect a rookie's performance on a week-to-week basis only, and not the collective season. These are not Rookie of the Year standings. With that straightened out, here is a look at the top-performing rookies around the league.

1. Scottie Barnes

TOR • PF • 4

PPG  RPG  SPG  FG%

20.7   8.3    2.3    75.7

After two losses to open up their return from All-Star break, the Toronto Raptors pulled out a much-needed win against the Brooklyn Nets Monday night, thanks in large part to Barnes' huge night. The rookie went off for 28 points, 16 rebounds and four assists, while shooting a ridiculous 85.7 percent from the field. Barnes' 10 straight shots in the first half made him the first rookie since Derrick Rose to accomplish that feat. 

In the absence of OG Anunoby it was expected that Barnes would be taking on more responsibility, specifically on the defensive side of the ball, but his outburst on offense this past week showed that he's more than willing to shoulder some of the scoring burden as well

What was even more impressive is that both head coach Nick Nurse and guard Malachi Flynn admitted after the game that the Raptors didn't run a single play for Barnes on offense. 

"I mean that's what he does. ... He's gonna get it no matter what," Flynn said. "You don't got to give him the ball. He's gonna go find a way to go get it, and those are the best players to play with."

Barnes went out and got his by any means necessary against the Nets, and it started from the opening tip of the game when he came up with a steal that led to a foul and his first points of the game. That aggressiveness maintained throughout the game in which turned out to be a blowout win for Toronto. Barnes' ability to put points on the board in transition, off broken plays or by crashing the offensive glass, makes him a difficult player to account for on offense.

2. Evan Mobley

CLE • PF • 4

PPG  RPG  APG  BPG

13.7   9.7    3.0    2.3

Until this point, Mobley has been the clear choice for Rookie of the Year. He's blown everyone away with his defense this season, and he's only getting better on offense each game. But in recent weeks he may be hearing footsteps creep up behind him with the recent play of Barnes, who I would slot as the No. 2 rookie this season. That isn't to say that Mobley won't win the award, because when he's consistently averaging near a double-double on a weekly basis, it's pretty difficult to not give him the award. 

But while Mobley is still helping anchor Cleveland's defense down low with Jarrett Allen, his offensive efficiency saw a dip this month. Mobley's effective field goal percentage dropped below 50 percent in the month of February for the first time all season, and also for the first time all season he posted a negative plus-minus in February.

This doesn't mean that the No. 3 overall pick has been playing bad, but rather it's a product of a more expanded offensive role on the Cavs. Whereas at the start of the season Mobley primarily got his buckets down around the basket -- either off putbacks, little dump-off passes from Darius Garland or post-up moves -- he's been working more mid-range jumpers into his game to stretch his offense outside of the paint. Like this:

This is something we all knew Mobley was capable of, because we saw it from him in college. So this isn't surprising, he's just experiencing a little dip in his efficiency because of it. By the way, that "little dip" in efficiency isn't much. He still shot 48 percent from the field in February, and the fact that he's a 7-footer and is taking these types of jumpers (off balance, fadeaways, etc.) is impressive in its own right. These are shots you want him to take if he's got a good look, and his efficiency will improve in those attempts as he takes more of them.   

3. Cade Cunningham

DET • SG • 2

PPG  RPG  APG

20.3   6.0    5.0

Something that's going to be intriguing to watch for the rest of the season is Cunningham developing chemistry with Marvin Bagley Jr., who the Pistons traded for ahead of the deadline. After being pushed further down the depth chart in Sacramento, Bagley got a fresh start in Detroit, and being able to play off Cunningham should be a treat for the versatile big man. Already we've seen some flashes of what this duo could look like in pick-and-roll situations, like this impressive finish from Bagley right before All-Star break off a Cunningham pass:

Bagley should benefit greatly off Cunningham's court vision, whether it be as a lob threat, in transition or just off easy looks like this spot-up jumper:

This, by the way, is all a testament to Cunningham, who has already proven to be one of the best passers in the league. He can find guys in impossible windows, pull off flashy passes and make the smart play that's going to lead to an easy bucket for his team. Cunningham's scoring is a given at this point, and it's only going to get better as he becomes more efficient, but his passing is what's going to help get his teammates -- like Bagley -- get going.          

4. Tre Mann

OKC • PG • 23

PPG  APG  RPG  SPG

14.7  5.0     4.0     2.0

Josh Giddey may be getting all the love in Oklahoma City as the heralded rookie, but don't forget about Mann. His offensive game is just so smooth and effortless, and his handle looks like he studied from Kyrie Irving. Just look at this:

Oh and he's already got that James Harden-esque stepback down perfectly:

Mann has unreal athleticism, and a crafty handle that he uses to manipulate the defense and create an open lane to the rim. He faked out not one, but three Kings defenders with this move, and he made it look absurdly easy:

He's incredibly entertaining to watch, and over the course of the season he's seen his playing time increase, and for good reason.

5. Franz Wagner

ORL • SF • 22

PPG   RPG   APG

14.0   5.0     3.0

Wagner picked up right where he left off before All-Star break, continuing his consistency for the Magic that resulted in two wins. He leads all rookies this season with the most 20-point games (14), which isn't surprising given how versatile of a scorer he's been for Orlando. Wagner can do a little bit of everything: knock down 3s, create off the dribble, get to the rim and has been an excellent cutter this season. 

His do-it-all skill set makes him incredibly important to the Magic on offense, because he moves great without the ball in his hands, just as he's able to be dangerous with it, too. His assist numbers have been on the rise, showing that he's committed to growing his game and becoming a complete player, and his defense was already highly touted coming into the league. Wagner's been the picture of consistency this season in this rookie class, and he continues to stand out in what's been a deep crop of first-year players.

Honorable mentions: Jalen Green, Houston Rockets (16.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists); Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors (13.0 points, 6.0 rebounds); Isaiah Jackson, Indiana Pacers (11.3 points, 5.0 rebounds)