NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – NOVEMBER 10: Josh Giddey #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder reacts against the New Orleans Pelicans during a game at the Smoothie King Center on November 10, 2021 in New Orleans, Louisiana, NBA Rookie Ladder. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Welcome back to the weekly rookie ladder update! Each week this season we will look at the race for the top five slots on the Rookie of the Year ballot, cutting the recording period every Sunday.
After weeks of having a different player sneak into the top five, the ladder resorts back to the five players who have spent the most time this year on the ladder. Even still, there is a lack of normalcy with one of the regulars to kick off the list.
In week seven of the Rookie Ladder standings, the core five rookies of the season return to the list with a little bit of a different order.
5
Josh Giddey
Last rank: 3
Week 7 NBA Rookie Ladder: 5. Josh Giddey, Oklahoma City Thunder
10.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.0 steals
Shooting splits: .391/.257/.654
Josh Giddey only played in one game this week for the Oklahoma City Thunder before being sidelined with an illness. He was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month last week as well, continuing to wow fans with his passing vision.
Finally, in perhaps his best break of the season, he was not on the court for the historical beatdown the Thunder took from the Memphis Grizzlies. The team lost by 73 points, following consecutive losses to the Houston Rockets.
Giddey will not see his advanced stats tanked by that brutal margin. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, who made this list just a week ago, walked away from the game with a mind-blowing -56 plus/minus in the box score. Giddey (and obviously Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) getting back on the court will make the product look better for the team.
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<h2>Week 7 NBA Rookie Ladder: 5. Josh Giddey, Oklahoma City Thunder</h2>
<p><strong>10.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.0 steals</strong></p>
<p><strong>Shooting splits: .391/.257/.654</strong></p>
<p>Josh Giddey only played in one game this week for the Oklahoma City Thunder before being sidelined with an illness. He was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month last week as well, continuing to wow fans with his passing vision.</p>
<p>Finally, in perhaps his best break of the season, he was not on the court for the historical beatdown the Thunder took from the Memphis Grizzlies. The team lost by 73 points, following consecutive losses to the Houston Rockets.</p>
<p>Giddey will not see his advanced stats tanked by that brutal margin. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, who made this list just a week ago, walked away from the game with a mind-blowing -56 plus/minus in the box score. Giddey (and obviously Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) getting back on the court will make the product look better for the team.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/07/nba-rookie-ladder-week-7/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 4 - 3 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – NOVEMBER 29: Franz Wagner #22 of the Orlando Magic reacts against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on November 29, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)</p>
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<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="4" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Franz Wagner" data-team-id="38" data-meta-a="" data-meta-b="Previous: NAth" data-inner-content=""> <div class="power-ranking remove-native-227"> <div class="order">4 </div> <div class="power-head"> <h3>Franz Wagner </h3> <h4> <span class="last-rank-title">Last rank: </span><span class="last-rank-info">NA</span> </h4> </div> <div class="power-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/07/nba-rookie-ladder-week-7/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fmagic.png"> </div> </div>
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<h2>Week 7 NBA Rookie Ladder: 4. Franz Wanger, Orlando Magic</h2>
<p><strong>13.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.1 steals</strong></p>
<p><strong>Shooting splits: .436/.366/.792</strong></p>
<p>A week ago, Franz Wagner was bumped off the list in favor of the aforementioned Robinson-Earl. The next time he took the court, the Michigan product posted a line of 27 points, six rebounds, five assists, and a steal.</p>
<p>The following game saw him hit a huge shot late in the game to put the Orlando Magic ahead for good against the Denver Nuggets for the Magic’s fifth win of the season. Wagner has been a picture of consistency and showed this week that it will be nigh impossible to keep him out of the top five for the rest of the year.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="3" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Cade Cunningham" data-team-id="64" data-meta-a="" data-meta-b="Previous: 4th" data-inner-content=""> <div class="power-ranking remove-native-227"> <div class="order">3 </div> <div class="power-head"> <h3>Cade Cunningham </h3> <h4> <span class="last-rank-title">Last rank: </span><span class="last-rank-info">4</span> </h4> </div> <div class="power-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/07/nba-rookie-ladder-week-7/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fpistons.png"> </div> </div>
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<h2>Week 7 NBA Rookie Ladder: 3. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons</h2>
<p><strong>14.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.2 steals </strong></p>
<p><strong>Shooting splits: .371/.287/.844</strong></p>
<p>The number one pick in the draft looked like he was really coming into his own again over the last week. With his backcourt running mate Killian Hayes by his side, Cade Cunningham looks so much more comfortable.</p>
<p>He had the best game of his career this past week, putting up 26 points, seven rebounds, three blocks, one assist, and one steal against the Portland Trail Blazers (and franchise icon Chauncey Billups).</p>
<p>Cunningham then came back the next game with 19 points and five assists against the hottest team in the league. Coming off a winless road trip exposed some of the frustration with losing that Cunningham (and the Pistons at large) is experiencing, but he is getting better by the day.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/07/nba-rookie-ladder-week-7/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 2 - 1 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">TORONTO, ON – DECEMBER 5: Scottie Barnes #4 of the Toronto Raptors guards Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards during the second half of their basketball game at the Scotiabank Arena on December 5, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)</p>
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<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="2" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Scottie Barnes" data-team-id="81" data-meta-a="" data-meta-b="Previous: 2nd" data-inner-content=""> <div class="power-ranking remove-native-227"> <div class="order">2 </div> <div class="power-head"> <h3>Scottie Barnes </h3> <h4> <span class="last-rank-title">Last rank: </span><span class="last-rank-info">2</span> </h4> </div> <div class="power-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/07/nba-rookie-ladder-week-7/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fraptors.png"> </div> </div>
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<h2>Week 7 NBA Rookie Ladder: 2. Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors</h2>
<p><strong>15.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals</strong></p>
<p><strong>Shooting splits: .489/.357/.723</strong></p>
<p>This is the closest the race for the top two spots has gotten. Scottie Barnes and Evan Mobley play at such a high level on both sides of the ball that both franchises and fan bases can make a clear case for their player.</p>
<p>Barnes is a better scorer and has been close to Mobley’s equal as a rebounder. He has not grabbed five or fewer rebounds in a game since before Halloween. Over the last week, he had a game with four blocks and a separate game with three steals. Barnes is so close to Mobley the number one player on this list can smell him.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="1" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Evan Mobley" data-team-id="156" data-meta-a="" data-meta-b="Previous: 1st" data-inner-content=""> <div class="power-ranking remove-native-227"> <div class="order">1 </div> <div class="power-head"> <h3>Evan Mobley </h3> <h4> <span class="last-rank-title">Last rank: </span><span class="last-rank-info">1</span> </h4> </div> <div class="power-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/07/nba-rookie-ladder-week-7/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fcavaliers.png"> </div> </div>
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<h2>Week 7 NBA Rookie Ladder: 1. Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers</h2>
<p><strong>14.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.9 blocks</strong></p>
<p><strong>Shooting splits: .470/.342/.780</strong></p>
<p>Since returning from injury, Evan Mobley has had two games with four blocks and has logged at least one block in each game. Against the Miami Heat, Mobley posted a line of 17 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, four blocks, and a steal.</p>
<p>To end the weak, going up against Rudy Gobert, the rookie tallied 14 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block. He is having the biggest impact on a winning team of any of the rookies in the league, further cementing his favorite status for the time being.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="NBA Power Rankings Week 7" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/06/nba-power-rankings-week-7/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/07/nba-rookie-ladder-week-7/"https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/06/nba-power-rankings-week-7/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> NBA Power Rankings Week 7 </a> </div>
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