The NBA released its latest weekly rookie rankings on Wednesday and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey came in fifth place. The top four in order were Evan Mobley, Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes and Franz Wagner.
Here’s the summary of Giddey’s placing in the article:
“As you can see, there’s an Eastern tilt to the top of the Ladder. That means Giddey might be on his way to his third straight Western Conference rookie of the month award. In his first eight games this month, he’s averaging 13.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.0 assists (more than triple any other candidate), while shooting 48% overall and 41% from three. Closest competitors: Houston’s Jalen Green (15.4, 3.8, 1.9, 39.5%, 28.6%) and New Orleans’ Herbert Jones (13.0, 3.8, 2.1, 55.3%, 46.2%). Giddey has improved each month, particularly as a shooter.”
Giddey, the two-time Rookie of the Month winner, won the award for October/November and December. The 19-year-old has averaged 11.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 39 games this season. Giddey went sixth overall in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Considering the fact that the Thunder received the sixth pick despite having the fourth-best lottery odds, I think it is fair to say that Thunder GM Sam Presti made the best of a bad situation by selecting Giddey. The rookie has been one of the Thunder’s best players this season with his elite playmaking, passing and rebounding abilities.
