NBA Rookie of the Year 2021: Latest Power Rankings - April 12th, 2021
Our latest NBA Rookie of the Year Power Rankings has had quite a few changes since our last edition. With the previous favorite to win the award, LaMelo Ball, out injured indefinitely with a wrist injury, the rankings were bound to change.
Anthony Edwards is still going strong at the moment, but Tyrese Haliburton is right behind him as his closest competitor. It has now given fans a new race to look forward to.
Meanwhile, Immanuel Quickley has still managed to find a place in our latest power rankings despite not being as impressive in the last week. Jae'Sean Tate, the new entrant last time around, has now fallen out of the top five in favor of Saddiq Bey, who has produced solid performances since 6th April.
James Wiseman was another candidate who produced decent performances last week. But he suffered a knee injury in the Warriors vs. Rockets game, which has now ruled him out for the rest of the season.
As a result, it has potentially now ruled him out of the Rookie of the Year award race as well.
Latest NBA Rookie of the Year rankings
Find out how each of the top five players in our latest NBA Rookie of the Year Power Rankings have fared since the last time we updated our rankings.
#1 Anthony Edwards
MPG - 31.3, PPG - 17.9, APG - 2.6, RPG - 4.4 FG% - 39.9%
Previous NBA Rookie of the Year Power Ranking - 1st (-).
Anthony Edwards has been quite consistent over the last few weeks concerning his output per contest.
He has played in all four games the Minnesota Timberwolves were scheduled to play since last week's power rankings and has managed to help them win in two games. He is averaging 21.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals during that stretch.
If Edwards continues to perform at this level, he could win the Rookie of the month award for a second consecutive month. With the Timberwolves out of playoff contention, continually collecting these accolades until the end of the regular season will only help him strengthen his hold onto the top spot.
#2 Tyrese Haliburton
MP - 28.6, PPG - 13, AST - 5.1, RPG - 3.2 FG% - 47.8%.
Previous NBA Rookie of the Year Power Ranking - 3rd (↑1).
Tyrese Haliburton's output has certainly declined since the last edition of our NBA Rookie of the Year Power Rankings. But Ball's absence - coupled with the odds still being in Haliburton's favor - has helped him climb up the rankings this time around.
The Sacramento Kings guard is averaging close to 10 points and five assists per contest in the three outings he featured in last week. However, since Haliburton is playing for a side that is in contention to make it to the play-in tournament, he will certainly have more opportunities to show how good he is.
If he does capitalize on this and helps the Kings get back to winning ways next week, Haliburton could be at the summit of our next edition of the NBA Rookie of the Year Power Rankings.
#3 LaMelo Ball
MP - 28.6, PPG - 15.9, AST - 6.1, RPG - 5.9 FG% - 45.1%.
Previous NBA Rookie of the Year Power Ranking - 2nd (↓1).
LaMelo Ball's long-term injury has finally seen him slip in our latest rankings. After managing to stay afloat in second place for so long, his absence and Haliburton's value to the Kings now see him ranked third.
While he won't win the award for sure now, Ball's season averages and impact are something that has seen him maintain his spot in the top five for so long, and will continue to most likely help him do so.
Ball's odds compared to the players ranked below him are quite strong still, which is also a factor in him staying in the top five at the moment.
#4 Immanuel Quickley
MP - 19.8, PPG - 12, AST - 2.2, RPG - 2.4 FG% - 38.6%.
Previous NBA Rookie of the Year Power Ranking - 4th (-).
With LaMelo Ball out for the season, Immanuel Quickley seems like one of the few rookies who could be playing in the playoffs this year. The New York Knicks have a solid case for making it to the post-season, and if Quickley plays a prominent role, he could very well make it to the top three in the next few weeks.
However, Quickley's performances of late haven't been that great. He has shown glimpses of what he is capable of but will need to do it consistently to make his case for being a frontrunner in the race to land the Rookie of the Year award.
Quickley has clearly been underused in three of the four games he featured in last week. As a result, his output has been quite low as well.
However, Quickley did receive a good amount of game time against the Grizzlies in the matchup on 9th April. He scored 20 points in that game, helping the Knicks win in overtime. Quickley shot a 58.3% clip from the field, including 66.7% from the 3-point line.
#5 Saddiq Bey
P - 25.1, PPG - 11.2, AST - 1.3, RPG - 4.0 FG% - 41.1%.
Previous NBA Rookie of the Year Power Ranking - NA (-).
Saddiq Bey has produced some of his best performances in the last week. With Jerami Grant out injured for the majority of games during that stretch, Bey has had to take matters into his own hands and lead the Pistons from the front.
Bey has played four games between the last edition of our rankings and the current iteration, in which he has averaged 19 points per game, shooting 51.2% from the field. Bey had two 25-point games during that stretch against the Clippers on 11th April and Denver on 6th April.
It was a remarkable feat as both these teams were two of the best sides in the league during that time.
With Wiseman no longer in the reckoning, Saddiq Bey could be a regular feature in the upcoming editions of our NBA Rookie of the Year Power Rankings if he keeps this form up.