Announced Sunday, Barnes joins the Detroit Pistons ‘Cade Cunningham and the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley as the three finalists for the league’s top player this season. The 20-year-old Barnes averaged 15.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in 74 games with the Raptors. Cunningham, 20, topped all rookie scorers with 17.4 points per game, while Mobley, another 20-year-old, was a top rookie rebounder and blocker, grabbing 8.3 rebounds per night and canceling 1.7 shots per game. . All three beginners were included in the top four of last year’s NBA draft. Cunningham took first place overall with the Pistons, Mobley was the No. 3 pick from the Cavaliers and Barnes was the No. 4 pick from Toronto. Of the three candidates, only the Barnes Raptors entered the playoffs. He averaged 15 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in his playoff debut in Toronto’s first 131-111 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday. Barnes suffered a sprain in his left ankle that forced him to leave the game in the middle of the fourth quarter. The Raptors said on Sunday that it was “doubtful” to play in Game 2 on Monday. Other finalists for the awards announced Sunday were Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, who will take home his second consecutive MVP award, competing against Sixers star Joel Ebid and Milwaukee’s Yannis Antitokunbo. Also, Mikal Bridges (Phoenix Suns), Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz) and Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics) are finalists for Defensive Player of the Year, Taylor Jenkins (Memphis Grizzlies), Eirk Spoelstra (Miami Heat) and Monty Williams (Phoenix ). Darius Garland (Cleveland), Ja Morand (Memphis) and Dejude Murray (San Antonio Spurs) are the most advanced player finalists and the sixth trio of the year selected was Xheiro Thai ( ), Cam Johnson (Phoenix) and Kevin Love (Cleveland). The winners of each award will be announced during the post-season.
