The Raptors haven’t played this current iteration of the Cleveland Cavaliers with James Harden in the mix yet. Still, they are familiar with plenty of the players on the team, especially Evan Mobley. He was someone Raptors fans watched very closely when he first came into the league in 2021 alongside Scottie Barnes.
Barnes and Mobley are no strangers to being compared and pitted against each other. It defined their rookie seasons in the NBA and a highly contested Rookie of the Year race that Barnes eventually won.
The first-round series between the Raptors and Cavs could rehash the old debate of who’s better, who has more potential, and which player is the better piece to build around.
Barnes and Mobley have both put together successful careers so far
Evan Mobley and Scottie Barnes were the third and fourth picks in the 2021 NBA Draft, respectively. Cade Cunningham went first overall to the Pistons, and the Rockets drafted Jalen Green with the second pick.
Barnes and Mobley quickly separated themselves as the most impactful rookies that season and split most of the Rookie of the Year votes between them. Barnes won with 378 total points and 48 first-place votes, but Mobley was close behind with 363 points and 43 votes for first place. Cunningham finished third with 153 points.
The “rivalry” cooled off a bit recently, but comparisons between the two players still come up frequently. It was definitely a topic when both signed max rookie extensions in 2024.
When it comes to just purely counting accolades, Mobley has a bit of an edge right now. He was an All-Star in 2023 and 2025 and made the All-Defensive First Team in both of those seasons. Last year, he also made the All-NBA Second Team and was named Defensive Player of the Year. Barnes “only” has two All-Star selections on his resume in 2024 and 2026, but has a solid case for All-NBA and All-Defensive team honors this season.
Scottie Barnes has to excel for the Raptors to win
There is a world in which the Cavaliers win this series even if Mobley doesn’t play his best. It might not be easy given the Raptors’ size, but it’s possible. If Barnes has a bad series, the Raptors’ chances of success are incredibly slim.
Barnes makes the team go on both ends of the floor with his size, physicality, versatility, and playmaking. If Barnes isn’t playing well, the Raptors will struggle, especially if Immanuel Quickley has to miss some time with his right leg issues.
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