Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

Raptors' Scottie Barnes named 2021-22 NBA Rookie of the Year

By Adam Stites | Last updated Apr 23, 2022 2:00 PM ET

Scottie Barnes of the Toronto Raptors is the 2021-22 NBA Rookie of the Year, the league announced Saturday.

Barnes, 20, was the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and averaged 15.3 points, 3.5 assists and 7.5 rebounds in the regular season. In Game 1 of a first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers, Barnes finished with 15 points, eight assists and 10 rebounds, but suffered a foot injury that kept him out for the next two games.

The win for Barnes is a little bit of a surprise as Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers was the betting favorite at the conclusion of the regular season. The margin of victory for Barnes over Mobley was the smallest in the history of the current voting format.

The 15-point difference between the NBA Rookie of the Year winner (Scottie Barnes) and the second-place finisher (Evan Mobley) is the smallest margin since the current voting format began 19 years ago.

More ➡️ https://t.co/dC7zbvLY5q

Full voting results ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/LWhlYARDcX
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 23, 2022

Mobley, 20, averaged 15.0 points, 2.5 assists, 8.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, but missed 13 games due to injuries. Barnes missed eight.

Barnes is the third Raptors player to ever win the award and the first since Vince Carter in 1999.

Adam Stites

Adam Stites is a Southern California native who lives in a new state every three months. He’s perennially disappointed by both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Arizona State Sun Devils. His dog is named Ramsey after the best cornerback in the NFL

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