ESPN released its annual top 100 players in the NBA heading into the 2022-23 regular season. This is the 12th edition for ESPN.
The panel was made up of more than 200 reporters, editors, producers and analysts.
Considering the Oklahoma City Thunder are the youngest team in the league and are a rebuilding small-market team, it should not come as a shock that they had only two entrants on the list: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey.
Gilgeous-Alexander is entering his fifth season and the first of his max extension. At 24 years old, Gilgeous-Alexander should be on the cusp of his best years. Meanwhile, Giddey is entering his sophomore season after an impressive rookie campaign was cut short in February due to a sore hip.
Let’s take a look at what the ESPN panel had to say about the Thunder backcourt.
No. 48: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
2021 ranking: 36
“How will another long rebuilding season impact Gilgeous-Alexander’s rising star? The Thunder have won a total of 46 games the past two seasons, and with Chet Holmgren sidelined for his rookie season, the Thunder appear headed toward another lottery. SGA has averaged 45.5 games the past two seasons. Can he stay healthy? And how will another year of rebuilding impact his growth?
No. 81: Josh Giddey
2021 ranking: N/A
“How big will his sophomore leap be? Giddey was the biggest snub off the NBA’s All-Rookie first team, likely largely due to missing the final six weeks of the season. Still only 19, the 6-foot-9 point guard looks primed to take another jump after leading all rookies in assists and finishing second in rebounding.”
