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NBA Rookie Rankings: Superlative Awards for 2021 Draft Class

Highest ceiling award, most improved and more awards for this year’s rookie class.

Michael Shapiro

The 2021–22 regular season is drawing to a close, allowing plenty of opportunity for the league’s rookies to shine as many teams run out the clock with eyes fixated on the lottery. The race for Rookie of the Year remains tight, and the final two weeks of the season could make a major difference in the jockeying for All-Rookie spots. In a crowded field, every performance matters.

We’ll set our sights on the All-Rookie debates next week. Let’s have a little more fun this week as we hand out some superlative awards for one of the most promising rookie classes in recent memory.

Highest Ceiling Award – Cade Cunningham, Pistons

There are potentially a half-dozen candidates who could qualify here, and fans in Cleveland, Toronto and Houston will likely dispute the pick. But each week gives me more faith in Cunningham’s future as a leading man. He continues to expand his range and willingness to launch off the dribble, increasingly flashing his scoring chops along with his elite vision and playmaking instincts.

Cunningham’s brilliance isn’t as flashy as Jalen Green. His efficiency numbers as a rookie fall well below those of Scottie Barnes and Evan Mobley. But ignore the last month-plus at your peril. Cunningham is beginning to turn the corner as a top option, dicing defenses from all three levels of the floor. Paired with an impressive mental makeup, it’s hard to not side with the No. 1 pick.

Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green in action during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports

Most Improved Rookie – Jalen Green, Rockets

Green has a fair case to the above honor, but there’s no shame in taking home the Most Improved award here. Green’s progression this season matched his G League year in a way, where a slow start gave way to flashes of brilliance before sustained success to close the season. Green is up to 20.8 points per game in March on 48/40/77 shooting splits, and his fluidity as an off-the-dribble shooter continues to impress. Green is now the first rookie in NBA history to make five-plus threes in four straight games. He’s shooting 50% on midrange looks since Feb. 1. And while he will never be a true point guard, his 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in March provides further faith in his playmaking chops.

Houston is rightfully delighted with the No. 2 pick’s growth as we close out the regular season.

Playoff Piece Award – Bones Hyland – Nuggets

Warriors rookie Jonathan Kuminga probably has the best case here, but we’ve already spilled ink on the No. 7 pick. Let’s instead pivot to Nuggets guard Bones Hyland, who looks increasingly important to Denver’s postseason hopes. Hyland acts as Denver’s primary ball-handler for extended stretches and can provide much-needed scoring punch around Nikola Jokić, who is leading a patchwork crew of rotation players by-and-large. If Jamal Murray can’t return to the floor, a strong series from Hyland may be necessary for the Nuggets to advance out of Round 1.

Second-Round Steal – Herb Jones, Pelicans

There was no chance this column would end without some form of plaudits for the Alabama product. Jones went from the No. 35 pick to a starting-lineup mainstay before December, and he’s largely been nothing but steady as a two-way producer. Jones is an expert cutter and a respectable spacer at 34.4% from three, though his true value comes on the defensive end. Jones sits No. 3 in the league in both steals and deflections. Only Evan Mobley and Alperen Sengun have more blocks among rookies. Jones can upsize to defend most frontcourt players, and his long limbs and light feet make him hard to shake for even the league’s slipperiest guards. New Orleans landed a rotation regular in the second round, one who should be a valuable part of the franchise for years to come.

Late Bloomer Award – Davion Mitchell, Kings

Mitchell’s minutes and scoring output were sporadic during the 2021 portion of the season, and while his defensive chops quickly translated, he struggled to find a rhythm in a crowded guard rotation. A change in circumstance has changed Mitchell’s output.

Mitchell is showing increased scoring prowess with Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield now in Indiana, and his production has skyrocketed since entering the starting lineup in mid-March. Mitchell’s 22 points per game over the last six contests is in part due to his outsized usage in an ugly late-season lineup. But we shouldn’t totally ignore the late-season gains. Perhaps Mitchell’s offensive ceiling is a bit higher than initially assumed after the first half of the season.

Human Highlight Award – Alperen Sengun, Rockets

It’s a bit reductive to define Sengun solely by his highlight passes. He’s an impressive post scorer with touch extending to the foul line, and his ability to hold his own both in drop coverage and on switch opportunities is promising. He projects to be a plus player on both ends, with upside for potential All-Star status given the right development. But it would frankly be a crime to deprive anyone of Sengun’s passing mastery, a skill that you can fairly call Jokić-lite.

More NBA coverage:
• The Inevitability of Cade Cunningham
• Joel Embiid: 'I Thought I'd Lose It'
• LeBron, Lakers Better Off Not Reaching Play-In

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Michael Shapiro
MICHAEL SHAPIRO

Michael Shapiro is a staff writer for Sports Illustrated. He is a Denver native and 2018 graduate of The University of Texas at Austin.

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