Evan Mobley is the Clear Bet to Win Rookie of the Year

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been a pleasant surprise to start the 2021-2022 season, 12-10 on the year which is good for sixth in the Eastern Conference.

What's changed for the Cavs this season? Most of it revolves around No. 3 pick Evan Mobley. The USC product has been fantastic to start the season, averaging 14 points, eight rebounds, and nearly two blocks per game.

Standing seven feet tall with a 7'4" wingspan, Mobley is able to step out and lock up guards on the perimeter and swat shots away at the rim. He is in the 82nd percentile in points per possessions allowed on defense, per Cleaning the Glass this season.

On Thursday, Mobley was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for November, and is still a valuable bet to win Rookie of the Year.

He currently has the same odds at the top of the board at WynnBET Sportsbook with No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham and Scottie Barnes at +250, but Mobley should be the clear favorite.

For starters, it helps that Mobley is the only one of the trio that is on a playoff team at the moment. While this is not like league MVP where team success is important, it doesn't hurt that Mobley is going to attract more eyeballs on a higher profile team.

While Mobley is second to Barnes in scoring by a few decimal points, he is a more positive impact player, posting a negligible on/off split (-0.7) while Barnes is -7.1 on the floor for the Raptors this season which is in the 25th percentile.

Ultimately, this Rookie of the Month award for Mobley is a signal of more accolades to come later in the year. At +250, this is the right time to buy him to win ROY. There is still room for Mobley to assert himself as the most impactful rookie in the association.