With a star-studded NBA draft and the 2021 Summer League in our rear view, it’s high time for a still-way-too-early Rookie Of The Year Community Shootaround! The three top picks this season are widely considered to be the players with brightest long-term futures in the NBA, but that doesn’t preclude someone else from swooping in for 2021/22 Rookie Of The Year award honors.
Top pick Cade Cunningham, selected by the Pistons out of Oklahoma State, is a lead ball-handler with the size of a forward (6’8″), beloved by scouts for his shooting ability and passing acumen.
Long-term, the Rockets are hoping No. 2 selection Jalen Green can replace ex-Houston All-Star James Harden as an All-NBA caliber shooting guard with a versatile offensive portfolio. Green opted to spend his post-high school season with the NBA’s G League Ignite rather than in a collegiate program. How much Green produces during his inaugural NBA season remains an open question, though he at least will see plenty of looks for a presumably lottery-bound Houston team.
Though the Cavaliers frontcourt is crowded between $100MM man Jarrett Allen, pricey former All-Star Kevin Love (owed $60.2MM over the next two seasons), and new addition Lauri Markkanen (signed to a four-year, $67MM deal), exciting USC big man Evan Mobley, the third pick in the draft, is a good bet to get major rotation minutes.
The top five selections were rounded out by two other intriguing prospects this season. 6’8″ FSU forward Scottie Barnes, selected with the No. 4 pick, will join a seasoned Raptors team loaded with forward depth and should have ample time to develop as a bench player.
The Magic chose 6’4″ Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs with the fifth pick in the draft, and subsequently added 6’9″ swingman Franz Wagner with the No. 8 pick. Suggs should receive significant scoring opportunities on an Orlando team not expected to compete for the playoffs.
The Thunder drafted 6’8″ guard Josh Giddey from NBL club the Adelaide 36ers with the sixth pick in the draft. The Thunder appear poised to continue their rebuilding project in Oklahoma City after trading away Chris Paul to the Suns during the summer of 2020, and as such should be able to find extended playing time for Giddey.
New Warriors lottery selections Jonathan Kuminga (the No. 7 pick), a 6’8″ forward out of the G League Ignite, and Moses Moody (the No. 14 pick), a 6’6″ guard out of Arkansas, are likely in line for smaller roles on a club trying to return to title contention this year, though of course that could change should Golden State opt to move them for veteran depth during the season.
6’2″ Kings guard Davion Mitchell, chosen with the ninth pick out of Baylor, will likely begin the 2021/22 season in a reserve role behind incumbent backcourt starters De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton, but after proving he could score in bunches during the 2021 Las Vegas Summer League (where he was named co-MVP), it seems clear he’ll get plenty of run for Sacramento. Mitchell averaged 10.8 PPG, 5.8 APG and 1.4 RPG.
Grizzlies forward Ziaire Williams, Hornets guard James Bouknight, Spurs guard Joshua Primo, and Pacers guard Chris Duarte rounded out the lottery picks this season. All will suit up for teams who appear hopeful to at least qualify for the play-in tournament.
Beyond the lottery, Mitchell’s Summer League co-MVP Cameron Thomas, who averaged 27 PPG, 2 APG, 1.75 RPG, and 1.25 SPG, may yet carve out a role for himself on a star-studded Nets team hoping to compete for a title. That said, it’s tough to see the 6’4″ LSU alum getting enough touches in the backcourt, playing behind two All-Stars, to warrant Rookie Of The Year consideration.
Wizards rookie swingman Corey Kispert, Rockets rookie forward Alperen Sengun and Pelicans rookie wing Trey Murphy III also look like contenders to log serious minutes this season.
We want to hear what you think! Who among these contenders is your pick to win Rookie Of The Year honors for the 2021/22 season? Will anyone else we haven’t mentioned sneak in to the conversation? Please weigh in with your own early predictions in the comments section below.
Suggs, Mitchell, Sengun, Hyland (Denvr), Butler (Utah)
This takes into account playing time and injuries. CadeC & Green will be up there but they may try too hard in a full season. Murphy plays behind ZW & BI; Mobley & Barnes have to learn their positions, etc. Always something.
Agree — gut feeling is Suggs will put up stats. Cade will be up there too I think
I was looking for indispensability as much as just ability… teams will come to need these players, rather than having to force them in. But in terms of ROY voting, I probably overreached.
Cade can get mad, and Pistons are likely to lose a lot. Not sure how Casey will play it.
Should be one of the better drafts in a while.
Cade & Green both have a chance to have a major impact off the grip a la Doncic & Trae young
Barnes, Suggs & Mobley should all make notable impacts off the bench in year 1.
Lot of guys projected to have good long careers out of this class
The big white guy on OKC could be a sleeper too
Lol dude looks like Eric Andre before he scalped himself.
For stats
Green will win it
For Stats and wins
Chris Duarte will win
Duarte? He’s not even going to be a starter, and might not even be in the Pacers rotation at all. Comparing him to Green is utterly ridiculous.
Sengun has the 6th best odds to win after Cade, Green, Mobley, Suggs, and Barnes.
Siakam will miss half the year, but TOR acquired Achuwa for the 4… Barnes is unspecific, right now more of a flashy reserve that gets talked about, than a starter.
Sengun should be able to find his shot, Barnes not.
Kispert will win rookie of year.
Suggs wins ROTY
Jonathan Kuminga ROY
Ayo Dosunmu a surprising runner up
Jalen Green will be a bust and out of the league in three years
After being traded to Minnesota and getting a fresh start Ben Simmons will rejuvenate his career and go on to win his record 5th ROTY award.
Cade and Jalen will lead the way. Both will get the mins. And have free range to grow as a player. I see Cade winning ROY. He’s NBA ready. Although he can play the Point. I see him as a SF. He’s a scorer and playmaker. Green is more a scorer. Green will lead the league in scoring one day.
The only way Cade beats out Jalen will be if Sengun plays so well himself that he takes away votes from his teammate. Green should be unanimous.
Kuminga won’t be able to have a proper run for ROY playing in GSW, so that opens the field.
Green must be the clear frontrunner.
Followed closely by Mobley, if he is the starting Center in CLE as he must be, not silly experiments at the PF!
Then there is a group of interesting prospects that can have a crazy year like Giddey, Wagner, Duarte & Sengun… but might not be enough!
Cummings & Barnes I don’t know very well what to expect of them, at the moment not much, but… will see what they can or can’t do at the next level!
Suggs looks like the surest bust in the draft, dreadful pick for ORL that they will regret for years to come!