Winless 2022 OKC Thunder continue to fall in week 12 power rankings

A week into 2022 the OKC Thunder were one of many teams dealing with an outbreak of COVID within their rosters. That’s impacted the performances of some teams and subsequently reflected in the week 12 national power rankings.

Additionally, this past week offered plenty of excitement for NBA fans as Klay Thompson returned to the hardwood after 941 days off it. Ja Morant brought many of us (regardless of fan affiliation) to our feet numerous times with the way he performed in Brooklyn and continues to shine. But it was his two-handed blocked shot in LA that almost stole the show from Klay’s return on Sunday.

In the East, Kyrie returned but the Nets are mired in a slump while the Raptors and 76ers are on winning streaks with both climbing the ladder.

Winless 2022 OKC Thunder continue to fall in week 12 power rankings

As for the OKC Thunder, rookie Josh Giddey continues to be a bright spot while his rookie teammates are also making a mark. Unfortunately, the team didn’t fare well on the national site power rankings as they remain winless in the New Year.

Cornerstone Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also had a rough week with the first round of All-Star ballots not listing him among the top 10 Western guards. The team going winless didn’t help his cause or his recent regression in shooting efficiency.

Ultimately, those talking points became the focus of the National writers’ comments about the Thunder as per the following…

OKC Thunder power ranking – NBA.com:

This week the stats master John Schuhmann spends time pointing to the 76ers “Process” and how many players during that era got opportunities that allowed several to claim positions on clubs.

Schuhmann points to the Thunder second-round rookies getting expanded playing time and the similarities. A portion of his excerpt about this dynamic is below. To view his full excerpt on the Thunder and the rest of his week 12 rankings click here.

Notably, OKC drops one spot from 26th to 27th in his power rankings.

"The Thunder aren’t quite at that level and the undrafted Luguentz Dort got his initial burn on a team that finished fifth in the West. But Moses Brown’s 920 minutes with OKC last season probably allowed him (undrafted and now with the Mavs) to hang around in the league. And this season, the Thunder employ two of the four 2021 second-round picks that have played more than 400 minutes. Both Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (32nd pick) and Aaron Wiggins (55th pick) have been starting of late, and both have looked rather competent. Robinson-Earl is a floor-spacing big with a pretty nice stroke from 3-point range, while Wiggins is a slasher who has shot 65% in the paint. This season has provided more opportunities than any other (we’ve now had 586 players see floor time in ’21-22), but these guys will obviously stick around beyond Health and Safety season."

ESPN Poll:

Like many who cover the NBA, the ESPN panel is impressed with OKC Thunder rookie Josh Giddey. His return from protocols and stellar performance had them sitting up and taking notice and he becomes the focus of this week’s excerpt as per below.

Yet, with four losses, the team failed to make a move albeit they didn’t drop either standing pat at 27th.

The panel’s week 12 NBA power ranking article can be viewed in full via this link.

"The Thunder are 0-for-2022, losing all four games in January, but rookie Josh Giddey has been quite a bright spot. Giddey is averaging 12.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 8.3 assists during the four-game losing streak. For the season, the teenager leads all rookies in assists (6.4 per game), is third in rebounds (7.5) and is eighth in scoring (11.1).  — MacMahon"

CBS Sports:

Colin Ward-Henniger of CBS Sports uses a different calendar than this counterparts so his placement of the Thunder will undoubtedly suffer a drop next week. However, his week 12 ranking includes the New Year’s game versus the Knicks which helps them move up one spot from last week to 24th from 25th.

CWH’s OKC Thunder excerpt is below and his full article can be viewed here.

"OKC beat the Knicks soundly on New Year’s Eve before dropping consecutive games to the Mavs and Wolves. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander came down to earth a bit, shooting just 36 percent from the field in two games, while Josh Giddey became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double with 17 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds in the loss to Dallas. He also went 5 for 9 from 3-point range in the two games he played this week, which is a great sign for the Thunder."

SportsNet:

Steven Loung of Sportsnet looks at the 30 teams in a different way for his power rankings putting them in five tiers.

The OKC Thunder had moved into the fourth tier to start 2022 but after a week plus of losing they drop back into Loung’s bottom tier for week 12.

1. Grizzlies on top
2. What’s wrong with Brooklyn?
3. Raptors looking like they could be the real deal
4. Can Kawhi save the Clippers’ season?
5. Tier 5: Lance is strumming his guitar in Indy again

Loung dives into Klay Thompson’s return, the Grizzlies winning streak and potential in the West, Kawhi Leonard’s possible return, a healthy Raptors squad being a problem, and the return of Lance Stephenson in Indy.

The fifth tier excerpt is below and you can view Loung’s full article here.

"The Indiana Pacers aren’t a very good team, but it’s cool to see Lance Stephenson back in Indianapolis.The veteran forward whose best years with Indiana came all the way back in the early 2010s, was on a 10-day contract, but will reportedly sign for the remainder of the season with the Pacers, a smart move considering he’s gone off for 30 points and five assists, and 16 points and 14 dimes in his last two games, respectively."

Overall, the national media either dropped the OKC Thunder or held them in place in week 12 of the national power ranking.