Raptors' Barnes edges Mobley, Cunningham for Rookie of the Year
Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes has won the 2021-22 Rookie of the Year award, the league announced Saturday.
Barnes beat out fellow finalists Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham for the prize.
Mobley finished second in voting with 363 total points to Barnes' 378, while Cunningham picked up 153. Barnes' 15-point margin of victory is the smallest for a Rookie of the Year winner since the league adopted the current voting format in 2002-03.
| Player | 1st place | 2nd place | 3rd place | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottie Barnes | 48 | 43 | 9 | 378 |
| Evan Mobley | 43 | 46 | 10 | 363 |
| Cade Cunningham | 9 | 10 | 78 | 153 |
Houston Rockets high-flyer Jalen Green (three points), Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (two), and New Orleans Pelicans wing Herbert Jones (one) rounded out the top five.
The Raptors' first-year forward is Toronto's third Rookie of the Year winner and first since Vince Carter claimed the honor in 1999. Damon Stoudamire won the award for his performance during the Raptors' inaugural season in 1995-96.
Barnes also returned Saturday for Game 4 of Toronto's first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers after missing Games 2 and 3 with an ankle sprain. He came in off the bench at the 6:11 mark of the first quarter.
Barnes was two assists shy of a 15-point triple-double in Game 1 - his playoff debut - before suffering the ankle sprain in the fourth quarter.
The 20-year-old averaged 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.1 steals across 74 regular-season games.