Eastern Conference rookies showing plenty of promise so far

Published January 4, 2022 12:48 AM

By NOAH TRISTER
AP Sports Writer

Cade Cunningham and Franz Wagner are giving the Eastern Conference’s bottom two teams reasons for optimism. The Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic have seven victories apiece this season, but they also have two of the NBA’s top rookies. Detroit took Cunningham No. 1 overall in last year’s draft, and the former Oklahoma State star has impressed with his all-around contributions. Wagner went to the Magic at No. 8. The Michigan product leads all rookies, averaging 15.9 points per game. In fact, four of the game’s top newcomers reside in the East. Evan Mobley of Cleveland and Scottie Barnes of Toronto are ranked 1-2 among rookies in rebounds per game.