NBA (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Welcome to the first weekly NBA 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. This class was hyped for quite some time and the first week of action did not disappoint. Even with number one overall pick Cade Cunningham yet to make his debut, the 2021 class is making an impact.
This week is the definition of small sample size, but that is part of the fun. One of the players ranked here would be much higher based on his third game if his first two had not completely dragged it down. However, it is hard to argue that all five of these players are already making their fans much happier.
It is week one of the NBA rookie ladder for the 2021 draft class. Who made the first top-five list of the season based on the smallest of samples?
5
Josh Giddey
Last rank: NA
9.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.7 steals
Shooting splits: .462/.400/.600
So far for the OKC Thunder, Josh Giddey is doing a little bit of everything on the offensive of the floor well. He is currently leading all rookies in assists. He is showing quite the ability to rebound from the guard position and has shown some scoring touch. Efficiency was the worry coming into the season and the third game swayed those stats noticeably. The shooting will remain the swing skill for Giddey to remain on this list for the rest of the season but for now, the Thunder have to feel good about the player they got with the sixth pick in the draft.
small sample size</a>, but that is part of the fun. One of the players ranked here would be much higher based on his third game if his first two had not completely dragged it down. However, it is hard to argue that all five of these players are already making their fans much happier.</p>
<h2>It is week one of the NBA rookie ladder for the 2021 draft class. Who made the first top-five list of the season based on the smallest of samples?</h2>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="5" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Josh Giddey" data-team-id="149" data-meta-a="" data-meta-b="Previous: NAth" data-inner-content=""> <div class="power-ranking remove-native-227"> <div class="order">5 </div> <div class="power-head"> <h3>Josh Giddey </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/2021/10/26/nba-rookie-ladder-week-1-small-sample/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fthunder.png"> </div> </div>
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<p><em>9.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.7 steals</em></p>
<p><em>Shooting splits: .462/.400/.600</em></p>
<p>So far for the OKC Thunder, <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/10/26/nba-rookie-ladder-week-1-small-sample/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/giddejo01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Josh Giddey</a> is doing a little bit of everything on the offensive of the floor well. He is currently leading all rookies in assists. He is showing quite the ability to rebound from the guard position and has shown some scoring touch. Efficiency was the worry coming into the season and the third game swayed those stats noticeably. The shooting will remain the swing skill for Giddey to remain on this list for the rest of the season but for now, the Thunder have to feel good about the player they got with the sixth pick in the draft.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/10/26/nba-rookie-ladder-week-1-small-sample/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 4-3 </a>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-437148" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/10/26/nba-rookie-ladder-week-1-small-sample/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1348799709.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1348799709.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1348799709-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)</p>
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<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="4" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Jalen Green" data-team-id="169" 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>Jalen Green </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/2021/10/26/nba-rookie-ladder-week-1-small-sample/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Frockets.png"> </div> </div>
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<p><em>16.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.0 blocks</em></p>
<p><em>Shooting splits: .442/.476/.000</em></p>
<p>If the first two games had not tainted the week for <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/10/26/nba-rookie-ladder-week-1-small-sample/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/greenja05.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Jalen Green</a>, he would be the number one lock this week. His outing on Saturday night was a masterpiece. Against the Boston Celtics, who were desperate for a win, Green looked like the scorer we were told about. He dropped 30 points on 18 shots. The most impressive part was knocking down eight of his 10 shots from distance, making him the youngest player to drop 30 points and hit eight threes in a single game. In the first two games of his career, he totaled 18 points on 8-25 shooting. The further that gets behind the higher he will climb on this list.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="3" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Scottie Barnes" data-team-id="81" data-meta-a="" data-meta-b="Previous: NAth" data-inner-content=""> <div class="power-ranking remove-native-227"> <div class="order">3 </div> <div class="power-head"> <h3>Scottie Barnes </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/2021/10/26/nba-rookie-ladder-week-1-small-sample/"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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<p><em>18.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists</em></p>
<p><em>Shooting splits: .524/.200/.750</em></p>
<p>So far, the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/10/26/nba-rookie-ladder-week-1-small-sample/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/barnesc01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Scottie Barnes</a>/Toronto Raptors look to be a lot of fun. He is the Swiss army knife that he was advertised to be and already seems more comfortable as a scorer than he did in college. Barnes opens a world of possibilities for a coach as creative as Nick Nurse. In the second game of his career, he put up 25 points and 13 rebounds against the Boston Celtics. Adding to the two-way potential of the Raptors should cement Barnes’ place on this list this season.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/10/26/nba-rookie-ladder-week-1-small-sample/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 2-1 </a>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-437069" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/10/26/nba-rookie-ladder-week-1-small-sample/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2135,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1236059909.jpeg" alt="NBA" width="3200" height="2135" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1236059909.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1236059909-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA Photo by Rick Osentoski/Getty Images</p>
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<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="2" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Chris Duarte" data-team-id="100" data-meta-a="" data-meta-b="Previous: NAth" data-inner-content=""> <div class="power-ranking remove-native-227"> <div class="order">2 </div> <div class="power-head"> <h3>Chris Duarte </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/2021/10/26/nba-rookie-ladder-week-1-small-sample/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fpacers.png"> </div> </div>
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<p><em>20.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals</em></p>
<p><em>Shooting splits: .404/.458/1.00</em></p>
<p>Rick Carlisle is typically rough on rookie guards and does not want to give them too long of a leash early on in their career. Whether it be the fact that he is older than many of the sophomores in the game or that he came out guns blazing, but <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/10/26/nba-rookie-ladder-week-1-small-sample/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/duartch01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Chris Duarte</a> may be ready to buck that trend. So far, he has scored 15 or more points in all his games, including the 27-point outburst on opening night. He has also played more than 40 minutes in two of three games, so this may not be sustainable, but he cleared the first hurdle in earning Carlisle’s trust.</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: NAth" 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">NA</span> </h4> </div> <div class="power-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/10/26/nba-rookie-ladder-week-1-small-sample/"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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<p><em>15.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.3 blocks, 1.3 steals</em></p>
<p><em>Shooting splits: .563/.250/.833</em></p>
<p><a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/10/26/nba-rookie-ladder-week-1-small-sample/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mobleev01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Evan Mobley</a> is the truth. He is the type of culture changer on the floor that the Cleveland Cavaliers have needed since LeBron James left. He is a defensive stalwart who has already blocked four shots in a game and is still only figuring things out. He is also a candidate to lead this class in scoring and rebounds if things break a certain way. Thank goodness for Houston Rockets fans that Green popped off Saturday because the choice to not pick Mobley was already weighing on them early. He is the type of unicorn the league has fallen in love with over the last decade.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="NBA Power Rankings Week 1: First impressions" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2021/10/25/nba-power-rankings-week-1-lakers-woes/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/10/26/nba-rookie-ladder-week-1-small-sample/"https://hoopshabit.com/2021/10/25/nba-power-rankings-week-1-lakers-woes/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> NBA Power Rankings Week 1: First impressions </a> </div>
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