Toronto ahead Scottie Barnes was voted NBA rookie of the yr Saturday, edging out Cleveland heart Evan Mobley.
“That’s a giant award. That’s one of many biggies,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse stated.
Barnes acquired 48 first-place votes and 378 factors from a worldwide panel of 100 writers and broadcasters. Mobley acquired 43 first-place votes and completed with 363 factors.
“In fact it was a aim of mine all yr to attempt to win it, however I didn’t actually attempt to overthink it or strive to take action a lot,” Barnes stated. “I simply did my position, did what I needed to do. Successful helps with it as properly.”
Barnes helped engineer a turnaround in Toronto, the place the Raptors went 48-34 after ending 27-45 and lacking the playoffs final season.
The distinction of 15 factors was the smallest margin within the rookie class underneath the present voting format that started with the 2002-03 season. Gamers obtain 5 factors for a first-place vote, three factors for a second-place vote and one level for third.
The award was introduced shortly earlier than the Raptors hosted Philadelphia in Recreation 4 of their first-round sequence.
Coming off the bench, Barnes returned after sitting out the earlier two video games due to a sprained left ankle. He completed with six factors and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes as Toronto received 110-102 to stave off elimination.
“We obtained a fantastic increase off the bench from Scottie along with his rebounding and simply his presence,” Nurse stated
Barnes averaged 15.3 factors, 7.5 rebounds and three.5 assists in 35.4 minutes, beginning the entire 74 video games he performed. He led all rookies in minutes and was third in factors and rebounds.
“He’s going to proceed to get higher, proceed to develop, however it was a fantastic second,” Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr. stated. “I’m ecstatic for him, and it’s a fantastic factor.”
The No. 4 draft decide after one season at Florida State joined Vince Carter (1999) and Damon Stoudamire (1996) as Toronto gamers to be voted rookie of the yr. Barnes was knowledgeable he had received by Carter throughout a video look at Friday’s observe.
“I used to be questioning what he was speaking to us about,” Barnes stated. “He was simply occurring, and I used to be beginning to notice.”
Barnes was the one rookie to rank within the high 5 in factors, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.
Mobley, taken one decide earlier than Barnes, helped spark an identical turnaround in Cleveland. The ahead, a former USC standout, averaged 15 factors, 8.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks because the Cavaliers fell simply shy of returning to the postseason for the primary time since LeBron James left in 2018.
The Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 decide within the draft, completed third.
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