OKC Thunder: Giddey moves up ROY rankings in week 2

With the games coming fast this year’s rookie class is getting plenty of experience and it’s paying immediate dividends for the youngsters. OKC Thunder rookie Josh Giddey is already creating buzz over the possibility Sam Presti got a steal by taking him sixth.

This week we also learned the Golden State Warriors were keen to grab Josh Giddey had he fallen one more spot which sort of puts to rest all the scuttlebutt that the Australian was a reach at six.

OKC Thunder Giddey performs in Rookie Ratings week two

With that the Rookie ratings for the second week of play are available and there is substantial movement on the lists. Giddey ascended most of the ranking lists as did the man who claimed the top spot on most lists (Scottie Barnes) which is fair given how well they’re performing.

Here’s how the writers ranked the rookies in week two:

NBA – Steve Aschburner

Although NBA writer Steve Aschburner provides a top 10 list each week only his top five get extra shine via his commentary. OKC Thunder guard Josh Giddey made that cut this week as he rises up the ladder to the top five — a two rung jump. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl who made the top 10 list last week falls off in week two. For Aschburner’s full week two list click here.

"At 5.9 assists to 2.0 turnovers, he tops rotation rookies in that ratio. Has led the Thunder three times in rebounds, five times in assists. Giddey’s first double-double (18-10) came in upset victory over Lakers. Showed a little 1-on-3 trickery at the Clippers Monday, too."

CBS – Jasmyn Wimbish:

In the second week of rookie rankings, CBS writer Jasmyn Wimbish moves OKC Thunder guard Josh Giddey up two rungs from seventh to fifth. Unfortunately, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl who made her list in week one falls off the top 10. That’s not necessarily much of a slight to JRE given how deep this draft class is.

Wimbish provides some specific film footage to demonstrate her points which can be viewed here along with her full week two list.

"Giddey had arguably one of the best rookie performances of the season last week with his 18-point, 10-rebound outing in a comeback win over the Lakers. The Thunder were down by 26 points, but Giddey helped lead Oklahoma City back for an astonishing win. He did it with his scoring and playmaking, and some of the passes he was pulling off were ridiculous."

Hoops Habit – Corey Rausch:

In his second week of Rookie rankings Hoops Habit writer Corey Rausch follows the pattern of his counterparts raising OKC Thunder guard Josh Giddey higher.

In week one, Rausch pegged Giddey as his number five but in week two he leaps up a rung to the number four position.

"After becoming something of a talking point for different reasons over the last two weeks, the Oklahoma City Thunder should ignore the rest. Josh Giddey has been a blast to experience so far this season.He is a wizard of a passer (leading all rookies in assists by nearly two per game) and is third in rebounds per game (besides Cunningham’s one game so far). The fact that his shot has not been an abject disaster thus far, which was expected, portends well for the future. Defense is still a point of contention, but pairing him with Lu Dort at most times should cover for that as he develops."

Rausch’s top five list took some big shifts in week two. His initial entry pegged Evan Mobley, Chris Duarte, Scottie Barnes, Jalen Green, and Giddey from first to fifth. Week two that quintet shifts to Scottie Barnes, Evan Mobley, Chris Duarte, Giddey, and newcomer Franz Wagner.

This is a solid and fair list given how this group performed and how they are impacting their squads. Click here to view his full article.

Yahoo –  Krysten Peek

Entering the mix in week two is writer Krysten Peek of Yahoo. Like Aschburner and Wimbish she offers up a top 10 list. I’m not as in sync with her selections as some of her counterparts. How Jalen Green can be placed ahead of Scottie Barnes or Evan Mobley at this point in the season (based on performance) is beyond me.

Nor is Giddey coming in sixth in alignment with Intentions thoughts but everyone is entitled to an opinion. Regardless, she recognizes Giddey in her top 10 stating:

"Giddey is leading all rookies in assists and is 21st overall in the league. The Australian native is a pass-first guard, but is also shooting the ball well early (45% from the field). The Thunder took Giddey with the No. 6 pick, and he will be instrumental in the rebuild process alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander."

Intentions list:

Intentions have our own thoughts on the subject. We outlined our top five rookies recently with Giddey making the grade of course. The amazing thing about this season’s draft class is there are a number of players who could win Rookie of the Year. At this early stage of the season, it feels like a definitive top two but as previous years have shown that can and will shift throughout the year.

Injuries will play a factor both in terms of rookies missing games or getting a bigger role due to teammates being out. The “rookie wall” is a real thing so we’ll have to wait to see how that impacts specific youngsters in the group.

One positive factor impacting Giddey is with the OKC Thunder tanking he should get consistent playing time the entire season which bodes well for him. It might be a stretch to imagine Giddey could prevail to win Rookie of the Year. However, him making the first team All-Rookie team is definitely in the equation.

That wraps up week two of the Rookie Rankings with Giddey performing well and while Robinson-Earl fell off the ladder, again, it’s important to remember how deep this rookie class is. Not making the list certainly isn’t a negative for JRE given the OKC Thunder selected him in the second round and he’s competing against a stacked draft class.