Raptors forward Scottie Barnes just edged Cavaliers big Evan Mobley for Rookie of the Year in a highly regarded race. The No. 1 pick in last year’s NBA draft, Pistons guard Cade Cunningham led their rookie class in scoring (17.4 points per game).
So, it wasn’t shocking those three were unanimous selections to the 2022 All-Rookie first team.
Other than it’s rare 100 people agree on anything.
This is the first time the media unanimously voted three players onto an All-Rookie first team. The last time three players (Kings’ Tyreke Evans, Bucks’ Brandon Jennings and Warriors’ Stephen Curry) unanimously made an All-Rookie first team was 2010 – back when the NBA’s 30 head coaches chose the honor.
Here’s the 2022 voting with first- and second-place votes and total voting points:
First team
Scottie Barnes (Raptors): 100-0-200
Cade Cunningham (Pistons): 100-0-200
Evan Mobley (Cavaliers): 100-0-200
Franz Wagner (Magic): 84-15-183
Jalen Green (Rockets): 58-42-158
Second team
Herbert Jones (Pelicans): 32-59-123
Josh Giddey (Thunder): 24-74-122
Bones Hyland (Nuggets): 0-81-81
Ayo Dosunmu (Bulls): 2-71-75
Chris Duarte (Pacers): 0-52-52
Also receiving votes:
Jonathan Kuminga (Warriors): 0-47-47
Davion Mitchell (Kings): 0-28-28
Alperen Sengun (Rockets): 0-13-13
Jalen Suggs (Magic): 0-6-6
Ziaire Williams (Grizzlies): 0-5-5
Jose Alvarado (Pelicans): 0-2-2
Austin Reaves (Lakers): 0-2-2
Josh Christopher (Rockets): 0-1-1
Trey Murphy III (Pelicans): 0-1-1
Cam Thomas (Nets): 0-1-1
Jalen Green spent the season looking lost as a distributor and defender. But he averaged 17.3 points per game, second only to Cunningham in this class. So, Green makes the first team.
This is a regular-season honor. But I suspect, if voters had a chance to watch the Pelicans in the postseason then review the regular season and truly consider only the regular season, Herb Jones (second team to first team) and Jose Alvarado (snubbed to second team) would’ve each landed a notch higher. Those defensive-first players didn’t get the attention they deserved until New Orleans was on national TV in the postseason.
Barnes, Mobley and Cunningham sucked up so much attention during the regular season.
As far as a trio making the first team unanimously, there were a couple close calls since the media took over voting for this honor in 2014 and at least tripling the number of voters. Last year, Hornets’ LaMelo Ball and Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards unanimously made the first team, but the Kings’ Tyrese Haliburton (now with the Pacers) fell one vote shy. In 2018, the 76ers’ Ben Simmons (now with the Nets) and Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell were unanimous first-team selections, but the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum came one vote short.
