Josh Giddey stays in mix of national rookie rankings – week 5

Five weeks have passed in the 2021-22 NBA schedule and with it, there is the most movement on the Rookie ladder this week. Top draft pick by the OKC Thunder point guard Josh Giddey continues to impress.

OKC Thunder guard Giddey hits the mark in week 5 rookie rankings

Injuries impact the rookie placement this week with Evan Mobley out injured for what was initially described at up to four weeks. Not every national writer removed Mobley or allowed other rookies to move past him which I guess is fair given he’ll be back in the fold soon.

At the same time, other rookies have begun to find their rhythm such as the top draft pick Cade Cunningham who registered his first triple-double.

Similarly, players who were struggling like Jalen Suggs delivered more consistently and front runner Scottie Barnes suffered a few tough shooting games although he continues to lead several key categories.

Let’s take a look at how the Rookie rankings shifted in week five of play.

NBA – Steve Aschburner

I thought maybe Josh Giddey would rise up Steve Aschburner’s ladder with Evan Mobley out but he held Mobley steady and moved Cade Cunningham up to third.

At least Giddey held steady in Aschburner’s fourth spot for week five. The excerpt on Giddey is below and you can catch the full week five rookie rankings by clicking here.

"As Giddey goes, so goes the Thunder? OKC ranks 30th in field-goal percentage overall (40.8%), 29th in 3-point percentage (30.6%) and 26th in free-throw accuracy (73.3%) — and their prized rookie is pulling down each of those stats at 39.7%, 25.4% and 63.6%.Still, he’s a runaway leader among rookies in assists and he’s not far behind the big guys above him on the Ladder in rebounds. He’s reliant on his Thunder teammates, remember, when it comes to his passes — he ranks 21st among all players with 11.5 “potential assists” per NBA.com tracking stats. And he’s good for a highlight or two on most nights:"

CBS – Jasmyn Wimbish:

While Jasmyn Wimbish hasn’t been quick to jump on the Josh Giddey bandwagon the OKC Thunder point guard makes her cut in week five. Visit the link to see the nice gems she offers of his passing.

Wimbish holds Giddey steady in the sixth position of her top 10.

"Giddey’s scoring numbers the past couple weeks haven’t been great, as he’s shooting just 28 percent from the field and 20 percent from deep in the last six games. That’s a stark difference compared to the first seven games of the season where he shot a respectable 44 percent from the field and 31.6 percent from long range. But despite the low scoring numbers, his passing and being a playmaker for his teammates has been a positive impact for the Thunder."

Hoops Habit – Corey Rausch:

Josh Giddey drops a spot in Corey Rausch’s rookie ladder in week five which is fair given how many other prospects put on shows this past week. Rausch notes his passing and credits the rebounding while pointing out the shooting inefficiencies the OKC Thunder rookie struggles with.

To view the full Giddey excerpt and Rausch’s week five rookie rankings click here.

"Josh Giddey is the kind of rookie that the diehards truly fall for. He will throw highlight passes game after game, but never truly take over. He will be one of the best rebounders on the floor for this young team, mostly because they do not employ a true big man (all due respect to Derrick Favors)…As always, just do not, by any means, look at those shooting splits. That was the biggest knock on him coming into this season and so far, the shot simply does not fall at a reasonable clip."

Intentions list:

Although the names on the ladder don’t switch much on the Intentions list for week five the placements do. I considered holding Evan Mobley steady in place but given how well a trio of candidates performed including our own OKC Thunder rook Josh Giddey it didn’t feel right to not acknowledge their efforts.

Mobley doesn’t fall completely off the ladder, however, for two reasons. First, the news out of Cleveland is he’s likely to return Sunday (November 28th), and second, his team hasn’t won a game since he left the court including the game he got hurt.

To pursue the Intentions top five rookie ladder for week five click this link.

"The OKC Thunder point guard had his best week of the 2021-22 campaign in week 5. Through four games facing the Heat, Rockets, Bucks, and Celtics he averaged a double-double! Yes, you read that correctly he posted 12.3 points, 10.0 rebounds (2.8 on the offensive glass), 4.5 assists, and 2.8 turnovers.Rookie category rankings:Assists: 5.8 – firstOffensive rebounds: 1.7 – tied with Evan Mobley for secondDouble-Doubles: two – two-way tie for secondRebounds: 7.3 – thirdTurnovers: 2.9 – thirdBlocks: 0.6 – three-way tie for thirdSteals: 1.0 – four-way tie for fourthField Goals Made: 4.5 – seventhMinutes per game: 29.7 – seventhPoints: 10.8 – eighthField Goal Percent: 40.7%"

Ultimately, OKC Thunder guard Josh Giddey has the national pundits sitting up and taking notice. Not everyone has caught on to his special skills and older than his years acumen yet, but give them time — they will.