Another week in the books and with two wins to their credit the OKC Thunder got a closer look from the national media. It was one thing for the team to come back from 26 points down to beat the Lakers but to do it again erasing a 19 point deficit this time had pundits sitting up and taking notice.
While cornerstone Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got the majority (deservedly) of the pundit’s shine, rookie Josh Giddey also turned heads for his work.
OKC Thunder Giddey stays in the spotlight in week three Rookie Rankings
Week three offered some stellar rookie performances and subsequently shifts or newcomers to the Rookie Ladder.
Last week the majority of sites included the quintet of Scottie Barnes, Evan Mobley, Chris Duarte, Josh Giddey, and Franz Wagner in their top five spots. Although Jalen Green made some lists, for the most part, neither he, Cade Cunningham, or Jalen Suggs made the cut.
Not much has changed, although one or the other of Cunningham and Green landed on a few week three ladders. Cunningham is likely to find himself a weekly member on every list I’m guessing starting next week.
That sucks for Josh Giddey who typically is seeded either fourth or fifth although one scribe didn’t even rank him in the top ten (color me confused on that omission).
With that in mind, here is how Josh Giddey performed in week three of rookie rankings for national and top sites.
NBA – Steve Aschburner
Aschburner’s ladder has ten rungs but only the top five get extra shine. While his top five remain precisely the same as last week there is some jostling with that segment of his ladder.
One rookie who stays precisely where they were last week is OKC Thunder guard Josh Giddey who remains in the fifth spot. That said, based on Aschburner’s opening Green and Cunningham are poised to climb into that top-five and it won’t be surprising Giddey drops down next week even if he maintains his current production.
To view Aschburner’s week three rookie ladder and associated article click here.
"Giddey’s scoring was down and his shooting still lags – he was 5-of-19 and 1-of-8 in the Thunder’s two games. But the 6-foot-8 shooting guard continued to show his vision and creativeness, helping OKC beat the Lakers and the Spurs in those two games. His 5.9 assists lead all newcomers by a wide margin and his rebounding is up, but so are his turnovers (4.0 for the week)."
CBS – Jasmyn Wimbish:
The most surprising of this week’s rookie rankings is CBS writer Jasmyn Wimbish who drops Josh Giddey completely off her list. Making matters worse it’s not a top ten, not a top five.
It seems a bit arbitrary but some experts don’t reward anything other than stats. Clearly, wins don’t matter nor efficiency otherwise neither Jalens (nor Reaves) gets on her ladder ahead of Giddey.
Wimbash’s top 10 list (from first to 10th) for week three is Evan Mobley, Davion Mitchell, Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham, Chris Duarte, Jalen Green, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, Alperen Sengun, and Austin Reaves.
To view her notes on each individual and the article in full click here.
Hoops Habit – Corey Rausch:
In week three Hoops Habit writer Corey Rausch’s list doesn’t vary much from his week two list. While CBS dropped Josh Giddey, Rausch remains impressed holding him steady in fourth.
Week three his top five are Scottie Barnes, Evan Mobley, Chris Duarte, Giddey, and newcomer Cade Cunningham. A portion of his excerpt on Giddey is below but to view the full segment and entire article click here.
"Week in and week out, Josh Giddey simply continues to fill up the stat sheet. He does not necessarily explode in any statistical category but is in the top three amongst rookies in rebounds, assists, and steals per game…Averaging double-digit points per game is better than expected at this point, and if he can become more efficient, he will be a steal. Setting up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will allow him to figure that out over time rather than being thrown right to the wolves."
Bleacher Report – Jonathan Wasserman:
Wasserman goes with a top seven rookie list and OKC Thunder guard, Giddey makes the cut in the fifth spot. His top seven are Evan Mobley, Scottie Barnes, Franz Wagner, Chris Duarte, Josh Giddey, Davion Mitchell, and Jalen Green.
For the full excerpt on Giddey and Wasserman’s article in its entirety click here.
"The NBA’s athleticism and speed haven’t been problematic for Josh Giddey, who’s putting up similar numbers (10.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists) to what he produced in the NBL (10.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists).His signature passing IQ has been evident early. Delivering the ball to teammates in optimal scoring situations remains Giddey’s signature strength, and he’s been able to play-make for them—despite lacking burst—by making the right reads and having the handle and size to execute against set defenses."
Intentions list:
Intentions recognized we’re biased when it comes to OKC Thunder rookie Josh Giddey. That said, our weekly ladder offered sound reasons for his seeding. You can view the entire article of our week three, top five as well as three rookies who earn honorable mentions by clicking this link.
"Week three Josh Giddey delivered by orchestrating the offense and working in conjunction with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. While SGA was hitting step-back logo 3-pointers and throwing his hat in the Most Improved Player conversation Giddey was dishing dimes and playing with a maturity beyond his 19 years.In his three games, he averaged nine points, 6.7 rebounds (1.7 on the offensive glass), 6.3 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 block. More importantly, that resulted in two wins including another double-digit comeback versus the Lakers and their first back-to-back wins of the season with the victory against the Spurs."
In the end, week three served up some arguably Josh Giddey’s best week to date. Where do you rank him on the rookie ladder?