OKC Thunder Giddy among special rookie performances in week 9

In closing:

This rookie class is my favorite in — to be frank in over a decade. Mobley is a defensive guru, Cunningham is showcasing why he was the top-rated prospect, Giddy is threatening triple-doubles nightly, while Wagner projects to be a versatile 3 and D player who checks off every box in the stat sheet.

But, through 30 games Barnes is the gift that just keeps on giving. Every week he adds something new and with his coach and captain (VanVleet) pushing him to do more and be more he’s happily obliging constantly adding new tweaks to his repertoire.

Barnes hasn’t had the benefit of having VanVleet, Anunoby, and Siakam all together for more than three games (they’ve played less than 70 minutes together this season). That dynamic will be interesting as it might equate to more wins but result in Barnes production taking a dip.

Returning to the Mobley versus Barnes debate – there isn’t a direct correlation of what’s occurred But to put it in perspective it would be the equivalent of  Jarrett Allen missing training camp and 11 of the first 12 games (Siakam) or one of Garland/Markkanen missing 13 consecutive games (Anunoby). The big question is would the Cavs record by the same under those circumstances and would Mobley’s statistics be drastically different (they could be much higher or much lower)?

That said, not winning RoY might be the perfect elixir for Barnes who seems to thrive on challenges and would use the snub as offseason motivation.

Of all the rookies the Raptors Barnes and OKC Thunder Giddey were the two who drew gasps and criticism on draft night. The fact they’re proving Masai Ujiri/Bobby Webster and Sam Presti right feels apropos.

Ultimately, it’s us the fans who are winning by getting to witness excellence by so many in this class and I’m here for every moment of it!

With Mobley and Barnes both contracting COVID it will be interesting to see how long they are out and how it impacts them upon return (hopefully both are asymptomatic). Cross your fingers the OKC Thunder keep avoiding it. Sending positive healing vibes to all the players who contracted the virus and a wish for a speedy recovery.

Another compelling thought is what if Mobley, Barnes, and Cunningham suffer the long-haul effects of COVID? Would Giddey suddenly become the most likely to ascend to the top ladder rung?

Unlikely all three are negatively impacted but stranger things have happened. Jayson Tatum fell off dramatically last season after contracting the virus. So it’s not inconceivable.

What we know for sure is Giddey has definitively carved out a spot in the top five and is about as cemented as Mobley, and Barnes are. Cunningham hasn’t been as consistent for as long but looks to be headed in that direction.

Most exciting is watching the young OKC Thunder continue to grow and ascend seemingly with each passing week, sometimes even as quickly as one game to the next.

As I said, this class sure is deep, talented and a ton of fun! Thankfully, the OKC Thunder rookie rankings: landed one of the best in the draft and possibly was the steal of the 2021 draft.