NBA award predictions — Rookie of the Year
- Cade Cunningham
- Jalen Green
- Evan Mobley
Nothing bold or brash here. Very rarely do the top three rookies claim the top three spots in Rookie of the Year voting, but even with a remarkably deep lottery class, it’s hard to bet against Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, and Evan Mobley. They were the top picks for a reason.
Cunningham was the runaway favorite to go first overall, and the Pistons have no reason to doubt their investment. The Oklahoma State product can contribute across the board, as both a wing scorer and a primary initiator on offense, and with positional versatility on defense. He’s a smart, confident playmaker with very few holes in his skill set. The Pistons have some nice young pieces on the roster, and Jerami Grant is a decent No. 1 scorer, but Cunningham could very quickly assume that mantle, too. He’s going to be really good, really soon.
Green is less polished than Cunningham, but he still spent a year in the G-League playing against (and thriving against) professional athletes. He’s one of the most gifted perimeter scorers to enter the league in a while, and he should have free reign in Houston’s offense. Again, there’s a big with some scoring cachet in Christian Wood, but Houston is Green’s team. He will put up points like crazy.
In this writer’s opinion, Evan Mobley was the truest challenger to Cunningham atop the draft class. He’s an absolute stud and should be a special two-way force for a long time. He can defend all over the floor as a 7-footer, and offensively, his uniquely diverse skill set should pay immediate dividends for Cleveland. Were it not for the Cavs’ absurd glut of frontcourt talent competing with Mobley for minutes, he would be the No. 2 player on this list.
Do the Sixers have any Rookie of the Year candidates?
With all due respect to Jaden Springer, who was a brilliant pick at No. 28, he has absolutely no shot at Rookie of the Year. This will be a season of patience for the newest member of Philadelphia’s young core.