NBA Rookie Ladder 2.0: Scottie Barnes rises; Josh Giddey cracks the top 5
By Alex Mcewen
In the second edition of our NBA Rookie Ladder, Scottie Barnes rises to the top spot and Josh Giddey leaps into the top 5.
One-quarter of the way into the 2021-22 NBA season the 2021 rookie class has dazzled thus far. The class is poised to be one of the stronger in recent memory with several players who already appear to be building blocks for their respective teams for years to come.
Since we last checked in on the 2021 rookie class, two players have missed time. Josh Giddey has been two games with a non-Covid related illness and the second overall pick, Houston Rockets rookie Jalen Green, has missed the team’s last four games with a hamstring issue. Green will be out indefinitely, whereas Giddey will return to the lineup once he gets over the flu.
For those reasons, in this edition of the rookie ladder, Green has slipped out of the top 5. If he recovers quickly, he will most likely rise back up. Until then, other rookies are healthy and deserve the boost. Orlando Magic rook Jalen Suggs also sustained an injury, he fractured his thumb and will also be out indefinitely.
Before jumping into the top-five, here are a few honorable mentions:
8. Jalen Suggs, guard, Orlando Magic
7. Jalen Green, guard, Houston Rockets
6. Davion Mitchell, guard, Sacramento Kings