Ranking the Top Five Players from the 2021 Draft

It’s been four years since the 2021 NBA Draft, a class that was once thought of to be fairly strong.

In the pre-draft process, it was thought of to have several top talents, swings in the lottery and depth throughout. But has that been the case so far?

Below, we’ll evaluate the top five players from the 2021 NBA Draft as it stands now:

1. Cade Cunningham, Pistons

Despite a somewhat rocky few seasons leading the league-worst Pistons, guard Cade Cunningham still maintains his status as No. 1.

In leading the Pistons to their first postseason wins in decades, Cunningham saw a personally stellar year, feeding into the theories that he needed better personnel around him to shine. He finished seventh in MVP voting, earned his first All-Star bid and finished All-NBA averaging over 26 points with nine assists per game.

2. Evan Mobley, Cavaliers

Had Cunningham not seen an improved season, Cavaliers’ center Evan Mobley would assuredly top this list, having seen a highly impactful career in just four seasons with Cleveland.

Last year he again improved his output, scoring 18.5 points on 56% shooting while adding 1.6 blocks per game, earning the Defensive Player of the Year Award in the process. 

Cleveland has ascended to the top tier in the East, and selecting Mobley at No. 3 seasons ago is a huge reason why.

3. Scottie Barnes, Raptors

The next trio are all closely aligned, though Raptors’ forward Scottie Barnes tops the list due to his defense.

In winning Rookie of the Year and earning an All-Star bid, he’s been able to see success on both ends of the court, averaging over 19 points per game for the past two seasons, at over 2.5 steals and blocks combined, too.

The former No. 4 pick maintains his status at the centrifugal piece of Toronto’s new team.

4. Alperen Sengun, Rockets

Turkish big man Alperen Sengun has likely been the biggest success story of the class so far, going from the No. 16 pick — the second Rocket following Jalen Green — to essential focal piece of his team.

He became an All-Star last season, averaging 19.1 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists, improving his defense while leading the Rockets to the postseason for the first time since his drafting.

At just 22, he’ll still have plenty of time to add to his game, too.

5. Franz Wagner, Magic

Rounding out the top-five is Magic forward Franz Wagner, who’s been a scoring machine for the team alongside No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero.

Last season, he scored a blistering 24.2 points per game, tacking on 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists in all-around effort. 

With Desmond Bane now signed on, Wagner should continue to help the Magic as they push to win the East in the next few seasons.