1:45 p.m. ET
Tim Bontemps ESPN
TORONTO — Raptors forward Scottie Barnes ousted Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley to win the 2021-22 NBA Rookie of the Year Award, with the 15-point difference between them representing the smallest gap in the 20 seasons the NBA has held the vote performed has current format.
Barnes, who returned to action in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference first-round series in Toronto against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday after missing Games 2 and 3 with a sprained left ankle, had 48 first-place votes and ended with 358 Points while he was on the list of each ballot.
Mobley, meanwhile, had 43 first-place votes and was named to 99 of the 100 ballots.
| player, team | 1 | 2 | 3 | tot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottie Barnes, TOR | 48 | 43 | 9 | 378 |
| Evan Mobley, CLE | 43 | 46 | 10 | 363 |
| C. Cunningham, DET | 9 | 10 | 78 | 153 |
| Jalen Green, HOU | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Franz Wagner, ORL | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Herbert Jones, no | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Barnes, the fifth overall pick from Florida State, averaged 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.08 steals, 0.74 blocks and 35.4 minutes in 74 games for Toronto. He led all rookies in minutes, ranked third in points and rebounds, and finished fifth in assists, steals and blocks.
In the last two months of the season, he won the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month award, becoming the third Raptor — after Damon Stoudamire in 1996 and Vince Carter in 1999 — to receive the honor of top rookie in the league.
“What you see on the court is exactly who Scottie is: enthusiastic. Cheerful. Athletic. Skillful and a winner,” said Raptors President Masai Ujiri in a statement. “We – and our fans – have loved seeing his development this season and we can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
Mobley, selected third from USC by Cleveland, averaged 15 points and 8.3 rebounds in 69 games for the Cavaliers, making them a playoff for the first time since LeBron James left the franchise four years ago -Candidate.
Following Barnes, who was honored with the pre-Game 4 award, and Mobley on the vote, was followed by Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, the top overall winner, who received the other nine first-place votes; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green, the second pick overall, who had a vote for second place; Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner, the eighth overall winner, who received two third-place votes; and New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones, the 35th overall pick, who received a single third-place vote.