As we watch guys like Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown torch the NBA playoffs, it’s fair to say that the NBA is in pretty good hands. The next generation of superstars will give us plenty of amazing content for years to come.
Even looking a the top-performing rookies this year, we can say that the future is bright.
Ahead of Wednesday’s Game 1 between the Mavericks and Warriors, Shams Charania revealed the NBA All-Rookie teams, honoring the season’s best young players:
2021-22 NBA All-Rookie teams:
First team: Scottie Barnes, Evan Mobley, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, Franz Wagner
Second team: Ayo Dosunmu, Chris Duarte, Josh Giddey, Bones Hyland, Herbert Jones
2021-22 NBA All-Rookie teams:
First team: Scottie Barnes, Evan Mobley, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, Franz Wagner
Second team: Ayo Dosunmu, Chris Duarte, Josh Giddey, Bones Hyland, Herbert Jones
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 19, 2022
It’s a pretty fair list, all things considered. Guys like Evan Mobley, and Cade Cunningham have been really solid all year long and Wagner, Dosunmu, Duarte, Giddey, Hyland, and Jones have surpassed expectations in more ways than one.
Of course, the most impressive rookie of all this season was Scottie Barnes, who took home the 2022 Rookie of the Year trophy:
“The Raptors as a team have been battling injuries and lineup uncertainty all year long, but Scottie Barnes has been one of the few constants for them and a major reason why they remain in the thick of the playoff race,” an NBA executive told HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto back in March. “He’s the only rookie this season to rank in the Top 5 in every major statistical category, and he’s doing so with a combination of averages that put him among an elite class of rookies all-time, the most recent being Luka Doncic. But stats aside, if impacting team success on the court is taken into account for the Rookie of the Year award like it is MVP and All-Star honors, Barnes has been the most impactful rookie in the NBA this year from start to finish.”
The All-Rookie teams traditionally get overlooked by the fans and media, but it can be a good sneak peek into the future when some of these players blossom into stars. For others, it can be motivation to step up and prove the experts wrong.
Whatever the case, it’s an important milestone and it’s not the only one that will be announced this week. Throughout the Conference Finals, multiple other teams will be recognized, including the All-NBA and All-Defensive squads.
