OKC Thunder rookies make the cut – week 10 national rookie rankings

With the omicron variant raging havoc across the league it finally caught up to the OKC Thunder sending copious players into the health and safety protocols. Included in that group were a trio of rookies – – Josh Giddey, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and Aaron Wiggins.

The timing however coincided with the CDC and NBA lowering the quarantine period for asymptomatic players from 10 days to five. Barring any major side effects that means this group (plus Aleksej Pokusevski and Darius Bazley) may not only be out for a short period and miss fewer games.

Multiple OKC Thunder rookies make national lists in week 10 power rankings

The rookie ladder is being impacted by this dynamic and in week 10 that’s equated to Giddey gaining company in the form of his own teammates in some of the national weekly top 10. Unfortunately, the rooks will also be impacted next week because they weren’t able to participate in week 11.

With that Intentions looks at where national writers cited OKC Thunder rookies in week 10 of the rookie power rankings.

NBA – Steve Aschburner

As the main rookie analyst for the official NBA site, Steve Aschburner has frequently tapped Josh Giddey in his weekly article. In week 10 he adds other OKC Thunder rookies into the mix.  His full week 10 power rankings can be viewed here.

Aschburner keeps Giddey in fifth citing his historic (and unusual) double-double with the following insights…

"Giddey’s performance in his most recent game before entering the virus protocols wasn’t just quirky, it was historic: 10 rebounds, 10 assists, zero points. A scoreless double-double reportedly is something that happened only once before in NBA annals, back in 1971 when Cincinnati’s Norm Van Lier went for 13 assists and 11 boards without scoring in the Royals’ 34-point drubbing of the Los Angeles Lakers. Giddey’s club beat New Orleans, its fourth victory in five games. He shot 0-of-8 and didn’t attempt a free throw."

The next OKC Thunder to make the mark on Aschburner’s top10 list is Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. The NBA scribe offers his stats and a notation about his 3-point efficiency.

"Season stats: 7.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 0.8 apgSince last Ladder: 13.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 0.7 apgLast Ladder’s rung: N/ADraft pick: No. 32 overallShot 42.1% 3FG in Thunder’s recent 4-1 stretch."

CBS – Jasmyn Wimbish:

In an unprecedented move, Jasmyn Wimbish puts three OKC Rookies in her top 10 including two in the top five.  Unlike most sites, CBS focuses solely on the week in question.

With three of the typical top rookies out in protocols that allowed for new entries on her list and this week that meant the OKC rookies were the benefactors (unfortunately it also likely means none will make the cut next week).

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl took her third rung, Aaron Wiggins the fourth rung and Josh Giddey made Wimbish’s top ten ranking eighth in her top 10. A portion of each of those excerpts is below while the full segment and Wimbish’s week 10 rookie ranking can be found here.

Robinson-Earl:

"He was a huge factor in OKC’s win over the Nuggets to start the week, as he showed off his defensive chops against the likes of Aaron Gordon, Will Barton, Jeff Green and reigning league MVP Nikola Jokic. Against the Suns his defensive impact was on display again, as he did a solid job in drop coverage in pick-and-roll situations, not allowing the likes of JaVale McGee and Deandre Ayton to get airborne too often."

Wiggins:

"Although Wiggins has now entered protocols, he’ll be quarantining after a standout performance in which he put up a career-high 24 points on 8 of 10 from the field and 2 of 4 from deep in OKC’s win over the Magic:He received high praise from Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after the game, saying …"

Giddey:

"As wild as it is for Giddey to finish the game with those stats, it’s not the least bit surprising given his penchant for setting up his teammates more than looking for his own shot. He’s already established himself as an incredibly gifted passer and aggressive rebounder, but the scoring is where he’s been inconsistent all season. Perfect example: Prior to that scoreless game, he finished with 17 points just three nights earlier vs. the Phoenix Suns. Giddey needs to find balance in his offensive game so that his scoring can be impactful just as his passing and rebounding are for the Thunder."

Hoops Habit – Corey Rausch:

In week 10, Hoops Habit writer like his counterparts touches on the omicron outbreak throughout the league. As we’ve noted some writers rank the rookies on a body of work while others focus specifically on the given week.

Corey Rausch takes the former approach which is why Josh Giddey doesn’t show up on his power rankings list this week. Opinions will differ from writer to writer and while I can understand how Scottie Barnes and Evan Mobley have separated themselves from the pack, by the same token I’m not sure how Giddey hasn’t done the same.

Of the typical quintet, Giddey and Franz Wagner were the only two who didn’t contract the virus and contributed to their team’s efforts.

To view, Rausch’s full week 10 rookie power rankings click here.

Overall a solid week for the OKC Thunder rookies but just as they thrived this week they’ll suffer next week given how many of them missed games in the NBA protocols.