Through two weeks in the Association, four rookies stay locked into the rankings. The draft class continues to impress, and making the top five going forward will be very difficult. It seems as if three rookies are here to stay, but consistent performances can either jump in or bounce out of the rankings. Jalen Green of the Houston Rockets fell out after a down week. That opens up the spot for another rookie. Who enters the rankings? Check out my breakdown of the top five rookies after two weeks.\
You can find last week’s rankings here.
5. Josh Giddey, SF, Oklahoma City Thunder
Giddey cracks the list for the first time in week two, after barely missing out previously. After a slow start to the week, he had a double-double with 18 points and 10 assists in a win against the Los Angeles Lakers. He also had a 15-point performance in a close loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Nothing too flashy so far for the sixth overall pick, but consistency will help Giddey continue growing into a solid scoring option for this young Thunder team.
4. Franz Wagner, SF, Orlando Magic
Wagner makes a jump in the rankings after his strong second week. He averaged 18.0 points per game throughout his four-game week, including a 28-point performance in a blowout win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Wagner is becoming one of the best shooters in his class, averaging 50.5 percent from the field with 46.3 percent from behind the arc. This could be a steal for the Magic alongside fourth pick Jalen Suggs.
3. Chris Duarte, SG, Indiana Pacers
Duarte kept his fire going in the second week, but not quite enough to stay in the top two of these rankings. Through four games, he averaged 15.8 points per game. While the Pacers went 1-3 in that stretch, Duarte has excelled. He’s third on the Pacers in points per game and looks to keep finding his shots early in the season.
2. Evan Mobley, C, Cleveland Cavaliers
Mobley moves up in the rankings again. He followed up his strong first week with a 23-point outing in a loss to the Lakers. Despite the loss, we see Mobley is growing increasingly comfortable with his role on the team. He also put up a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds in a close win against the Charlotte Hornets in his last outing. He’s averaging 13.6 points per game along with 7.9 rebounds per game. He has also been a defensive presence, averaging 1.4 blocks through eight games.
1. Scottie Barnes, SF, Toronto Raptors
Barnes is the leading rookie in points per game at 18.1 He had a really strong week starting with an 18 point game in a win against the Indiana Pacers. He then had two-straight 21-point performances against the Orlando Magic and another matchup with the Pacers in which he had a double-double, adding 12 rebounds. Barnes is a true point forward, giving everything you need from a big man on the defensive end, and a capable ball-handler on the offensive end. He takes No. 1 after two weeks.
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Main Image Credit: via Cleveland.com
