Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons controls the ball ahead of Jalen Green #0 of the Houston Rockets; NBA (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Welcome back to the weekly rookie ladder update! Each week this season we will look at the race for the top five slots on the Rookie of the Year ballot, cutting the recording period every Sunday.
Suddenly the top two picks are starting more firmly assert their claim for a spot on the rankings. For the first time this season, Chris Duarte did not make it for the week. His scoring touch has certainly cooled, allowing for some emergence of others. Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland is making a push, but for now, Jalen Green returns to the ladder.
It is week four of the rookie ladder for the 2021 draft class. How did Jalen Green and Cade Cunningham fair after their head-to-head matchup?
Week 4 NBA Rookie Ladder: 5. Jalen Green
5
Jalen Green
Last rank: NA
13.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists
Shooting splits: .352/.270/.800
For the bottom three players on this list, efficiency remains the largest issue. Jalen Green has moments where he looks like an absolute star. He went right at Cade Cunningham in their showdown, dropping 23 points and a thunderous jam.
Unfortunately, over the next two games, he would rack up 21 points on 23 shots. He is clearly born scorer, but Green needs to do better at picking his spots more.
He spent so much energy going up against Cunningham that after the battle on national television (the rare appearance for the Houston Rockets), he was burnt out the rest of the week. Better managing the moment comes with experience, so taking the lumps this season is going to become increasingly common for the Rockets.
weekly rookie ladder update!</a> Each week this season we will look at the race for the top five slots on the Rookie of the Year ballot, cutting the recording period every Sunday.</p>
<p>Suddenly the top two picks are starting more firmly assert their claim for a spot on the rankings. For the first time this season, Chris Duarte did not make it for the week. His scoring touch has certainly cooled, allowing for some emergence of others. Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland is making a push, but for now, Jalen Green returns to the ladder.</p>
<p>It is week four of the rookie ladder for the 2021 draft class. How did Jalen Green and Cade Cunningham fair after their head-to-head matchup?</p>
<h2>Week 4 NBA Rookie Ladder: 5. Jalen Green</h2>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="5" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Jalen Green" data-team-id="169" data-meta-a="" data-meta-b="Previous: NAth" data-inner-content=""> <div class="power-ranking remove-native-227"> <div class="order">5 </div> <div class="power-head"> <h3>Jalen Green </h3> <h4> <span class="last-rank-title">Last rank: </span><span class="last-rank-info">NA</span> </h4> </div> <div class="power-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/16/nba-rookie-ladder-week-4/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Frockets.png"> </div> </div>
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<p><strong>13.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists</strong></p>
<p><strong>Shooting splits: .352/.270/.800</strong></p>
<p>For the bottom three players on this list, efficiency remains the largest issue. Jalen Green has moments where he looks like an absolute star. He went right at Cade Cunningham in their showdown, dropping 23 points and a thunderous jam.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, over the next two games, he would rack up 21 points on 23 shots. He is clearly born scorer, but Green needs to do better at picking his spots more.</p>
<p>He spent so much energy going up against Cunningham that after the battle on national television (the rare appearance for the Houston Rockets), he was burnt out the rest of the week. Better managing the moment comes with experience, so taking the lumps this season is going to become increasingly common for the Rockets.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/16/nba-rookie-ladder-week-4/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 4 - 3 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-434195 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/16/nba-rookie-ladder-week-4/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2486,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1333110170-1.jpeg" alt="NBA" width="3200" height="2486" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1333110170-1.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1333110170-1-768x597.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Josh Giddey #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder passes against Cade Cunningham #2 and Killian Hayes #7 of the Detroit Pistons (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Week 4 NBA Rookie Ladder: 4. Josh Giddey</h2>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="4" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Josh Giddey" data-team-id="149" data-meta-a="" data-meta-b="Previous: 4th" data-inner-content=""> <div class="power-ranking remove-native-227"> <div class="order">4 </div> <div class="power-head"> <h3>Josh Giddey </h3> <h4> <span class="last-rank-title">Last rank: </span><span class="last-rank-info">4</span> </h4> </div> <div class="power-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/16/nba-rookie-ladder-week-4/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fthunder.png"> </div> </div>
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<p><strong>9.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.3 steals</strong></p>
<p><strong>Shooting splits: .377/.289/.615</strong></p>
<p>Hanging on by a thread, Josh Giddey continues to stuff the stat sheet. Week in and week out he is <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/16/nba-rookie-ladder-week-4/"https://www.nba.com/stats/players/traditional/?sort=PTS&dir=-1&Season=2021-22&SeasonType=Regular%20Season&PlayerExperience=Rookie%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">among the league leaders in rookie</a> rebounding (third) and assists (first), but leaves much more to be desired.</p>
<p>Unlike the next person on this list, he is also given much less of the burden to create as he plays alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Giddey needs to improve his efficiency in order to keep up with the scoring threats that join him on this list. It is unfair, in most classes, to hold players to this standard, but the class is competing at such a high level on a night-to-night basis, that it is required to stay on top.</p>
<h2>Week 4 NBA Rookie Ladder: 3. Cade Cunningham</h2>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="3" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Cade Cunningham" data-team-id="64" data-meta-a="" data-meta-b="Previous: 5th" data-inner-content=""> <div class="power-ranking remove-native-227"> <div class="order">3 </div> <div class="power-head"> <h3>Cade Cunningham </h3> <h4> <span class="last-rank-title">Last rank: </span><span class="last-rank-info">5</span> </h4> </div> <div class="power-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/16/nba-rookie-ladder-week-4/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fpistons.png"> </div> </div>
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<p><strong>11.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists</strong></p>
<p><strong>Shooting splits: .315/.234/.929</strong></p>
<p>Clutch is a word that is already being thrown around plenty with Cade Cunningham, and it is easy to see why. His numbers are not jumping off the page at you (though they are steadily improving), but he has a clear feel for the moment.</p>
<p>He dropped his first 20-point game on Jalen Green, shrugging off whatever little trash talk the number two overall pick tried to throw his way. He struggled against the Toronto Raptors for much of the game but took it to OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes down the stretch to secure the win. If his level of comfort continues to improve, he will be quickly coming for the upper echelon of this list.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/16/nba-rookie-ladder-week-4/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 2 - 1 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-438200 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/16/nba-rookie-ladder-week-4/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1352976905-1.jpeg" alt="NBA" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1352976905-1.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1352976905-1-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots over Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Week 4 NBA Rookie Ladder: 2. Scottie Barnes</h2>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="2" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Scottie Barnes" data-team-id="81" data-meta-a="" data-meta-b="Previous: 2nd" data-inner-content=""> <div class="power-ranking remove-native-227"> <div class="order">2 </div> <div class="power-head"> <h3>Scottie Barnes </h3> <h4> <span class="last-rank-title">Last rank: </span><span class="last-rank-info">2</span> </h4> </div> <div class="power-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/16/nba-rookie-ladder-week-4/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fraptors.png"> </div> </div>
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<p><strong>16.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals</strong></p>
<p><strong>Shooting splits: .519/.200/.757</strong></p>
<p>After a week of trying to discover his fit of the roster after Pascal Siakam returned to the court, Scottie Barnes looked much more comfortable this week. He continues to be a better scorer than anyone could have expected, and the team defense of the Toronto Raptors has thrived whilst incorporating him.</p>
<p>He had his best game in a loss to the Boston Celtics, dropping 21 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. His defense has always been his calling card, but being such a dominant rebounder as a rookie keeps him in earning the number two spot.</p>
<h2>Week 4 NBA Rookie Ladder: 1. Evan Mobley</h2>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="1" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Evan Mobley" data-team-id="156" data-meta-a="" data-meta-b="Previous: 1st" data-inner-content=""> <div class="power-ranking remove-native-227"> <div class="order">1 </div> <div class="power-head"> <h3>Evan Mobley </h3> <h4> <span class="last-rank-title">Last rank: </span><span class="last-rank-info">1</span> </h4> </div> <div class="power-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/16/nba-rookie-ladder-week-4/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fcavaliers.png"> </div> </div>
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<p><strong>15.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 blocks, 1.1 steals</strong></p>
<p><strong>Shooting splits: .520/.235/.800</strong></p>
<p>Nothing to see here, just another week where Evan Mobley is securing his claim as the Rookie of the Year. It is still far too early to claim that the award has been locked up, but Mobley has been a two-way force for an up-and-coming team.</p>
<p>Just this week alone, he had two games with three blocks, two games with two steals, and scored at least 16 points in all three games. In the game against the Detroit Pistons, he was a transformational force. Every night watching him is an exhibition on how high a rookie can perform on both sides of the ball.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="5 young players who have surprised everyone this season" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/14/nba-young-players-surprised/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/16/nba-rookie-ladder-week-4/"https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/14/nba-young-players-surprised/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> 5 young players who have surprised everyone this season </a> </div>
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