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The NBA regular season is set to end in less than a week, but there is still plenty of excitement in the air. The race for the top spot in the East is very tight, while the final play-in tournament spot in the West is still up for grabs. Even the race for awards will go down the wire.
Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid are battling for the MVP, while injuries may play a factor in the Rookie of the Year race. Evan Mobley and Cade Cunningham are missing games in an important stretch.
Scottie Barnes is expected to finish the season strong and possibly swing the vote for him. Nevertheless, here are the latest ROTY power rankings presented by Sportskeeda.
#5 Franz Wagner
Previous week's NBA ROTY Power Ranking - #4
Last Week: Games played - 2; Games won - 0; Games lost - 2
Overall: Games played - 78; Games won - 20; Games lost - 58
Last Week: PPG - 14.0, APG - 1.0, RPG - 2.5
Overall: PPG - 15.3, APG - 2.9, RPG - 4.6
Last Week: FG% - 55.0%, 3P% - 100.0%, FT% - 100.0%
Overall: FG% - 46.8%, 3P% - 35.7%, FT% - 86.3%
It looks like we jinxed Franz Wagner as he missed his first game of the season on Sunday in the Orlando Magic's loss to the New York Knicks. Wagner suffered a sprained right ankle on April 1st on the very first possession of the game against the Toronto Raptors.
With just three games to play, Wagner may likely end the season at number five in the NBA's Rookie of the Year power rankings. He technically played in two games last week, averaging 14.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists.
#4 Jalen Green
Previous week's NBA ROTY Power Ranking - #5
Last Week: Games played - 3; Games won - 0; Games lost - 3
Overall: Games played - 64; Games won - 12; Games lost - 52
Last Week: PPG - 32.0, APG - 2.7, RPG - 4.0
Overall: PPG - 16.8, APG - 2.6, RPG - 3.3
Last Week: FG% - 47.8%, 3P% - 44.4%, FT% - 80.0%
Overall: FG% - 42.1%, 3P% - 34.3%, FT% - 80.3%
Jalen Green has been on a tear ever since the All-Star break. Green finally figured it out after struggling at the start of his rookie campaign. He was astounding for the Houston Rockets last week, averaging 32.0 points and shooting 47.8% from the field.
Green moved up one spot in this week's NBA Rookie of the Year power rankings at number four. He has scored 30 points or more in four straight games, joining Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson as the only rookies to have ever done it.
#3 Evan Mobley
Previous week's NBA ROTY Power Ranking - #3
Last Week: Games played - 0; Games won - 0; Games lost - 0
Overall: Games played - 67; Games won - 39; Games lost - 28
Last Week: PPG - 0.0, APG - 0.0, RPG - 0.0
Overall: PPG - 14.9, APG - 2.5, RPG - 8.3
Last Week: FG% - 0.0%, 3P% - 0.0%, BPG - 0.0
Overall: FG% - 50.6%, 3P% - 25.3%, BPG - 1.6
Evan Mobley remains at number three in this week's NBA Rookie of the Year power rankings. Mobley did not play for the Cleveland Cavaliers last week as he is recovering from a sprained ankle. With the race for the ROTY very close, it's interesting to see if Mobley will return before the regular season ends.
The Cavaliers are one of the best stories in the league this season. However, they have been struggling recently and have fallen into the play-in spots. They may have a winning record, but could miss the playoffs.
#2 Cade Cunningham
Previous week's NBA ROTY Power Ranking - #1
Last Week: Games played - 3; Games won - 2; Games lost - 1
Overall: Games played - 62; Games won - 20; Games lost - 42
Last Week: PPG - 21.0, APG - 4.0, RPG - 1.0
Overall: PPG - 17.3, APG - 5.5, RPG - 5.5
Last Week: FG% - 54.2%, 3P% - 33.3%, SPG - 2.0
Overall: FG% - 41.9%, 3P% - 31.9%, SPG - 1.2
Cade Cunningham moved down one spot at number two in this week's NBA Rookie of the Year power rankings. Cunningham was on his way to another stellar week, but suffered a hip injury against the OKC Thunder. He missed the game over the Indiana Pacers and could possibly miss the rest of the season.
Cunningham averaged 21.0 points, 1.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in three games last week. He played just eight minutes in the win over the Thunder. With the ROTY going down the wire, has Cunningham done enough to win the award?
#1 Scottie Barnes
Previous week’s NBA ROTY Power Ranking - #2
Last Week: Games played - 3; Games won - 2; Games lost - 1
Overall: Games played - 70; Games won - 40; Games lost - 30
Last Week: PPG - 18.3, APG - 4.3, RPG - 6.7
Overall: PPG - 15.4, APG - 3.5, RPG - 7.5
Last Week: FG% - 52.6%, 3P% - 33.6%, SPG - 1.0
Overall: FG% - 49.0%, 3P% - 30.1%, SPG - 1.1
Scottie Barnes regained the top spot in this week's NBA Rookie of the Year power rankings. Barnes was vital in the Toronto Raptors 2-1 record last week, averaging 18.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists. It's also worth noting that the Raptors have overtaken the Cleveland Cavaliers in the standings.
With the ROTY race as close as it is now, Barnes is showing off why deserves to win the award. In an interview on ESPN Today, Barnes said that being in the top five of the major categories among rookies and helping the Raptors win is enough to garner votes.
Guess the Lakers players!
