Rookie Wire Power Rankings: Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham lead the way

The rookie class continues to put up strong, individual performances to start the 2021-22 season as some new candidates have started to emerge over the last few weeks.

Toronto Raptors guard Scottie Barnes has likely emerged as the top rookie to this point of the season. He puts up numbers on a nightly basis and that should only continue as the Raptors ask him to shoot more 3-pointers per game (more on that later).

The class has dealt with some recent injuries with the likes of Jalen Green and Evan Mobley missing time while Jalen Suggs and Bones Hyland will be out for the foreseeable future. Mobley will not be included in the latest rankings after appearing in just two games over the last two weeks.

To make sense of it all, we took a look at the best recent performances of these first-year players and ranked them in the latest edition of the Rookie Wire Power Rankings. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but, rather, to illustrate the best players week to week.

Bones Hyland, Denver Nuggets

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 9

Stats: 8.0 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists

Hyland recently missed two games with an ankle injury but returned on Monday to score a career-high 19 points in a win over the Miami Heat as the Nuggets started a seven-game road trip. However, it was reported that Hyland has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols and will miss the next several games. The latest setback to the Nuggets will test their depth as they have just four guards available. They will certainly be hoping Hyland can return sooner than later but he did not appear to be happy with the news.

Herb Jones, New Orleans Pelicans

AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

Last Rank: N/A

Stats: 6.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.6 steals

Jones is coming off one of his finest performances of the season, recording 16 points and four rebounds in a surprising win over the Los Angeles Clippers. His overall numbers on the season don’t jump off the page but Jones gives the Pelicans a strong defender as the team is allowing 14.5 more points per 100 possessions when he is off the court. He leads all rookies with 31 steals, which also ranks 16th among all players. Jones is back in the starting lineup as of late with the Pelicans going 2-2 in those games. We’re not saying it’s all him leading to those results, but he has become a big part of their recent success.

Jalen Green, Houston Rockets

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 5

Stats: 14 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists

Green appeared to be playing some of his best basketball prior to suffering a hamstring injury last week. He was posting 14.3 points on 48.7% shooting from the field over his last four games and even had 11 points in 10 minutes prior to the injury on Nov. 24. He could return soon as the Rockets have suddenly won three straight and appear to be turning things around.

For more coverage on the Rockets, visit Rockets Wire

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Oklahoma City Thunder

Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: N/A

Stats: 7.1 points, 5.6 rebounds

Robinson-Earl checks in for the first time this season after a strong recent stretch of play. He is averaging 9.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and one assist over his last seven games on 42.4% shooting from the field. He had four straight games in double figures and also registered two double-doubles in that span, which ranks fifth among all first-year players. He has emerged as a player that will do the dirty work on the court that can also defend and switch onto smaller guards. He continues to perform well for the Thunder and has likely been the top second-round pick this season.

For more coverage on the Thunder, visit Thunder Wire

Jalen Suggs, Orlando Magic

AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh

Last Rank: N/A

Stats: 12.3 points, 3.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 1.1 steals

Suggs has turned in perhaps his best stretch of the season, averaging 13.9 points, 3.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals over his last eight contests. Unfortunately, he will miss some time after suffering a fractured right thumb on Monday. He will not need surgery and will be reevaluated every two weeks.

The injury comes just as the fifth overall pick started to gain his footing in the NBA and turn the corner. He felt as though the game had started to slow down as he showed great control and poise running the team on a nightly basis. The team will certainly be hoping he can pick up where he left off once he can return from the injury.

Chris Duarte, Indiana Pacers

Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 7

Stats: 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists

Duarte continues to perform like one of the top first-year players this season. He is averaging 10.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists over his last seven games. Included in that stretch is a 17-point outing versus the Los Angeles Lakers, in which he hit a tough 3-pointer to send the game to overtime. The performance earned high praise from LeBron James afterward.

Josh Giddey, Oklahoma City Thunder

Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 10

Stats: 10.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.0 steal

Giddey recently made a bit of history after he joined LeBron James and LaMelo Ball as the only teenagers in NBA history to reach 100 rebounds and 100 assists within their first 20 games at 19 years, 45 days. He continues to stuff the stat sheet for the Thunder, ranking eighth in scoring, third in rebounding and first in assists among all first-year players. We do not have an official count of highlight-reel passes from Giddey this season but we’re going to guess he is up there among rookies, as well.

For more coverage on the Thunder, visit Thunder Wire

Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 4

Stats: 13.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.0 steal

Wagner is coming off a 27-point performance on Monday in a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. He now has two games this season with at least 25 points, tied with Cade Cunningham for the most such outings by a rookie. He has flourished as a floor spacer this season, shooting 35.2% from 3-point range, and has succeeded in either letting it fly or keeping it and driving into the paint. The Magic have leaned on Wagner at times to run the offense and the eighth pick has shown encouraging signs as a shot creator and facilitator. There hasn’t been much that has gone well for the Magic this season but the development of Wagner has to be one of the few bright spots.

Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons

Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 3

Stats: 13.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.3 steals

Cunningham is coming off of a career-high 26 points in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday in which he went 5-of-7 from 3-point range. As we previously mentioned, he now has two games with at least 25 points this season, joining Franz Wagner as the only two rookies to reach that mark. He continues to look more comfortable on a nightly basis and that has especially shown with his shooting. He is still turning the ball over at a high rate, 3.6 per game, but that is to be expected from a rookie on a young roster.

Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors

Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Last Rank: 1

Stats: 15.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.2 steals

Although our rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes, Barnes has consistently performed like the top first-year player to this point of the season. Some of the other players that started off hot have seemingly cooled down a little bit while Barnes is continuing to produce on a nightly basis. The Raptors want Barnes to stay aggressive and shoot more 3-pointers since good things generally happen when he does so. Over his last two weeks, Barnes is averaging 13.7 points, eight rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.4 steals on 43.5% shooting from 3-point range. He made four 3-pointers Sunday on a career-high nine attempts and he went 3-of-6 on Tuesday so he appears to be following the new game plan.

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