As NBA awards season continues, the award for this season’s top rookie has been selected. Raptors forward Scottie Barnes has won the 2022 Rookie of the Year award, per The Athletic’s Shams Chrania.
Toronto picked Barnes with the No. 4 overall selection in the 2021 draft, choosing the Florida State product over Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs. Barnes rewarded the Raptors’ choice, starting 74 games for and averaging 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
Barnes led all rookies in minutes this year, and he was top three among rookies in points and rebounds per game. He was also a stalwart for the Raptors defense, which was a top-10 unit this season.
Barnes beat out the three players picked ahead of him. Cavaliers center Evan Mobley came in second with just five fewer first place votes, and Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Rockets guard Jalen Green came in third and fourth, respectively.
Barnes is the only player of those four whose team reached beyond the play-in round this year.
While Barnes’s regular season was strong, his first ever postseason has gotten off to a rocky start. In Game 1 vs. Philadelphia, Barnes left the game with an ankle injury and did not return. He didn’t play in the next two games, and but is playing in Game 4 as the Raptors look to stave off elimination from the Sixers.
