Hoops Habit
Fansided

NBA Rookie Ladder Week 9 Power Rankings: Protocol issues arise

By Corey Rausch

CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 11: Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers playa against the Sacramento Kings during the second half at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on December 11, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Kings 117-103. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Schwane/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 11: Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers playa against the Sacramento Kings during the second half at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on December 11, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Kings 117-103. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Schwane/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 3
Next
NBA Rookie Ladder Power Rankings
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 14: Scottie Barnes #4 of the Toronto Raptors dribbles as Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets defends during the second half at Barclays Center on December 14, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Nets won 131-129. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

Week 9 NBA Rookie Ladder Power Rankings: 2. Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors

. . Previous: 3rd. Scottie Barnes. 2. player. 81

15.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.1 steals

Shooting splits: .494/.356/.726

Moving back up the list, Barnes and Cunningham have a real chance to catch Mobley now that he is missing time again. Scottie Barnes had more than 20 points in two of his three games last week.

He grabbed 12 and eight rebounds in those games, respectively. He is showcasing that he could do anything the Toronto Raptors could want while contributing to a team attempting to compete for the postseason, something that Cunningham cannot say.

Despite the bias that has been admitted in this column on a weekly basis, being statistically comparable while in a winning situation is a strong tiebreaker.

Week 9 NBA Rookie Ladder Power Rankings: 1. Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers

1. player. 156. . . Previous: 1st. Evan Mobley

13.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.8 blocks

Shooting splits: .474/.333/.773

Monitoring the Evan Mobley situation will be the story for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Rookie of the Year race, surrounding the Christmas holidays. He is part of the puzzle that has led to the Cavs being one of the hottest teams in the league, but as he enters COVID protocols like much of the league, the Cavaliers’ dominance falls back into question.

No rookie has helped change the culture of their team more than Mobley, but this is the second time this season that he has found himself unavailable for multiple games at a time. Just like that, the door has cracked back open for the rest of the field.

Next. All 5 NBA Christmas games ranked. dark