Tag: Rookie Wire

NBA Power Rankings: Warriors land outside of top 20 in latest list from Rookie Wire

In the latest list of NBA power rankings from Rookie Wire, the Warriors landed outside the top-20.

Following a 2-5 homestand, the Golden State Warriors headed out on a five-game road swing. However, their road trip came to an abrupt end with the sudden and tragic death of assistant Dejan Milojevic. The final two games of the trip against the Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks were postponed.

Prior to the postponements, the Warriors had lost back-to-back games to the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies and the Milwaukee Bucks. With their road trip ending a 1-2 record, the Warriors are 3-7 over their last 10 games.

In the latest list of power rankings from Cody Taylor of USA TODAY’s Rookie Wire, the Warriors landed just outside the top 20. The Warriors slotted in at No. 22 on the list of power rankings, right behind the Atlanta Hawks and Houston Rockets.

Read the full list of power rankings via Rookie Wire here.

After a pair of postponements, the Warriors return to the Bay Area for a game against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday at 7 p.m. PT.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and X! 

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2022 NBA Redraft: All 4 OKC Thunder selections go in the first round

The Thunder’s strong 2022 NBA draft class was evident in this redraft.

With a season under their belt, the 2022 NBA draft class looks strong; several players had impressive rookie campaigns last year.

No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero lived up to his draft status with the Orlando Magic; he won Rookie of the Year. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City Thunder wing Jalen Williams outperformed expectations with a No. 2 finish in ROTY voting.

Over a year after the draft, Rookie Wire’s Cody Taylor conducted a redo with the class. For the Thunder, all four of their draft picks went in the first round in the redraft.

Let’s look at where Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Ousmane Dieng and Jaylin Williams went in the redraft and compare it to their actual selection.

Warriors stick with Michigan’s Jett Howard in Rookie Wire’s latest mock draft 5.0

In his freshman season with Michigan, Jett Howard averaged 14.2 points on 41.4% shooting from the floor and 36.8% from beyond the arc.

With the early entry withdrawal deadline officially passed, the upcoming 2023 NBA draft took another step closer. With draft season heating up, mock drafts are beginning to catch fire.

Several different prospects have been linked to the Warriors in mock drafts throughout the pre-draft process. In the latest mock draft 5.0 from Rookie Wire, the Warriors landed a familiar face. For the second time, Cody Taylor of Rookie Wire penned Michigan’s Jett Howard with the No. 19 overall selection in the 2023 edition of the draft. Howard was mocked to the Warriors in Rookie Wire’s 4.0 mock draft.

According to Taylor, a sharpshooter like Howard landing with the Warriors alongside Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole could seem “unfair.”

Via Rookie Wire:

Adding Howard, regarded as one of the top shooters in the draft, to the Warriors would seem a bit unfair given their roster of marksmen. But it is something that even the Warriors could use more of. He has shown he can do more than just shoot, though, that will be that skill that teams covet in this range. Howard will work out with the Magic on Saturday, so his range could be higher than this spot.

During his freshman season at Michigan, the son of longtime NBA forward and current coach of the Wolverines, Juwan Howard, 14.2 points on 41.4% shooting from the field and 36.8% from beyond the arc to go along with 2.8 rebounds and two assists in 31.8 minutes per contest.

The 6-foot-8 forward showed off a smooth jumper in the Big 10, hitting nearly three 3-pointers per game. Howard was named to the All-Big 10 Freshman Team and earned All-Big 10 Third-Team honors in his first season of college hoops. 

Howard turned in a career performance against the Iowa Hawkeyes, scoring 34 points on 12-of-22 shooting from the floor with 7 made 3-pointers.

Coming out of high school at IMG Academy, Howard was a four-star recruit that made an appearance in the Jordan Brand Classic game. Howard was also named MVP of the Allen Iverson Roundball Classic.

Along with Howard, players like Duke’s Dereck Lively II and Indiana’s Jalen Hood-Schifino have been popular names linked to the Warriors throughout mock draft season.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

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Warriors land Michigan’s Jett Howard in Rookie Wire’s mock draft 4.0

Jett Howard averaged 14.2 points on 41.4% shooting from the field and 36.8% from deep during his freshman season with the Wolverines.

With their title defense coming to an end with a second-round playoff exit, it’s time for the Golden State Warriors to turn their attention to the offseason. With the offseason headlined by questions about key figures like Bob Myers and Draymond Green, the Warriors must also keep an eye on the upcoming NBA draft. 

With the 2023 draft order set by the recent lottery, mock draft season is beginning to heat up. After the San Antonio Spurs landed the No. 1 overall pick at the draft lottery on Monday, Cody Taylor of Rookie Wire dropped his latest mock draft. 

With the No. 19 overall selection, the Warriors landed Michigan’s Jett Howard in Taylor’s post-lottery mock. According to Taylor, the Warriors could be getting a player with scoring and shooting ability. 

Via Rookie Wire:

Howard, the son of Wolverines head coach Juwan Howard, is considered a first-round pick this year given his ability as a scorer and shooter. He has a great shooting form and can launch quickly, which will certainly be something the Warriors could use. His shooting will be what draws teams in but he has shown the ability to penetrate the paint and finish. He is projected to be a mid-to-late first-rounder this year and the Warriors could be a potential destination for him.

Read Taylor’s full mock draft via Rookie Wire here.

On the way to winning All-Big Ten team honors in his first season in Ann Arbor, Howard averaged 14.2 points on 41.4% shooting from the field and 36.8% from deep. The 6-foot-8 shooter hit 2.7 3-pointers on 7.3 attempts per contest. Howard added 2.8 rebounds and two assists in 31.8 minutes per contest. 

Howard caught fire against Iowa, scoring a season-high 34 points on 12-of-22 shooting from the field with 7 made triples. Howard hit five or more 3-pointers in four different games for the Wolverines last season. He scored over 20 points in all four of those games. 

The 2023 edition of the NBA draft is set for Thursday, June 22 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

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Rookie Wire: OKC Thunder ranked No. 24 in latest NBA power rankings

The OKC Thunder remains in the same spot they were ranked last week by @RookieWire .

Rookie Wire’s writer Cody Taylor published his weekly NBA power rankings on Monday.

For the Oklahoma City Thunder, they remain steady at No. 24 — the same spot as last week’s power rankings.

“The Thunder offense completely exploded on Sunday in a 145-135 win over the Knicks. Their 145 points scored were the most since January 2018 as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 37 points. Meanwhile, Josh Giddey put up his first triple-double of the season with 24 points, 12 assists and 10 assists. He became just the second player ever (Wilt Chamberlain, 1968) to record triple-doubles in their first two games at Madison Square Garden.”

The Thunder continue to surprise the league with their performances. Despite being 6-8, they’ve looked like a much improved team with the MVP play of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

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Rookie Wire: OKC Thunder moves up in latest NBA power rankings

The Thunder improved on its ranking from @RookieWire

Rookie Wire released its latest NBA power rankings on Monday, and writer Cody Taylor continues to put the Oklahoma City Thunder on the rise.

The Thunder, who were ranked No. 25 in the last power rankings, rose to No. 24 this week.

“After racing to a 4-3 start, the Thunder have dropped two straight. They are coming off a 108-94 loss to the Bucks, who were without Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 18 points. Despite the two-game skid, the defense has been one bright spot in the early going, though. They rank seventh in the NBA in that category.”

The Thunder are 4-6 and in the midst of a three-game losing streak. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to play like one of the best players in league, averaging 30.8 points on 53.9% shooting.

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Rookie Wire NBA Power Rankings: OKC Thunder ranked No. 25 in latest edition

The Thunder jumped up from last week.

Rookie Wire reporter Cody Taylor published his latest NBA power rankings for the past week’s slate of games.

The Oklahoma City Thunder jump up four spots from the previous rankings, as they went from No. 29 to No. 25 following a three-game winning streak.

“The Thunder got on the board this week after winning their first two games of the season. Both came against the Clippers. Oklahoma City blew out L.A. in the first meeting on Tuesday without Paul George or Kawhi Leonard and followed it with another impressive win two nights later. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander totaled 57 points in those two games against his former team. They wrapped up their week with an impressive win over the Mavericks for their third-straight victory.”

The Thunder collected wins against the LA Clippers twice and the Dallas Mavericks in overtime.

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Rookie Wire: OKC Thunder ranked No. 29 in latest NBA power rankings

The Thunder are ranked No. 29 with the first week of the season under wraps.

It’s been roughly a week since the 2022-23 regular season started, which means the first batch of NBA power rankings has been published.

Rookie Wire’s Cody Taylor released his league-wide power rankings on Monday.

The Oklahoma City Thunder come in ranked 29th as they start their season winless in three games with a 0-3 record. Two of those losses came against the Minnesota Timberwolves; the other was to the Denver Nuggets.

“The Thunder nearly pulled off a huge upset over the Timberwolves on opening night and have since had a few more close losses. They look like a team that is going to compete hard and find themselves around late in games. As is the case with most young teams, putting it together for all 48 minutes will be key this season.”

This is a one-spot jump for the Thunder from the preseason rankings in which Rookie Wire ranked them dead last.

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OKC Thunder stick with Josh Giddey in Rookie Wire 2021 NBA draft redo

The Thunder makes the same selection once again in this re-draft.

The 2021 NBA draft class turned a year old this summer, which means every player from it has a season under their belts.

The Rookie Wire’s Cody Taylor decided to redo the draft and have a 2021 NBA redraft a season later. For the Oklahoma City Thunder, they selected No. 6 overall in this class and ended up choosing Australian guard Josh Giddey.

In this exercise, that remains the same.

“Giddey dazzled in one season in the National Basketball League and continued that display in the NBA. From his highlight-reel passing to his ability to get others involved, Giddey had a strong season with the Thunder before a hip injury shut him down in February.

He earned Rookie of the Month honors in the Western Conference four times and became the youngest player to record a triple-double. Giddey was also the second rookie to register three consecutive triple-doubles, and tied Luka Doncic for the most by a teenager (4).

Giddey lost his new running mate, Chet Holmgren, but looks to improve upon a strong rookie campaign this season. He still has some holes to fill in his game, but Giddey would likely go sixth once again in a redraft.”

This is a solid selection and if the Thunder were in the same situation, would likely re-pick Giddey. It seems both sides are quite pleased with the other. Giddey looks to improve his shooting over the next several seasons; that is really the only huge hole in his offensive game.

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Aleksej Pokusevski listed as player from 2020 draft class with most to prove next season

Poku will enter his third season with the Thunder and will be eligible for an extension next summer.

The members of the 2020 NBA draft class will enter their third season in the league. For many players, this is the most critical season because first-round picks will be eligible for extensions next summer and second-round picks will have a team option on the final year of their rookie deal.

The third season is also a good barometer to see how much more room for improvement a player has in his career. If a player’s development has stagnated, that likely means they reached the ceiling of the type of player they’ll be. The opposite is also true. A player who continuously improves means he’ll likely have room to grow beyond his third season.

For Oklahoma City Thunder forward Aleksej Pokusevski, The Rookie Wire’s Cody Taylor listed the 20-year-old as one of the five players with the most to prove this season from his draft class.

“As far as players on this list, Pokusevski was the lowest-drafted player at No. 17 but still enters the 2022-23 season with equally high expectations after a couple of up-and-down seasons with the Thunder.

He is averaging 7.8 points, five rebounds and 2.2 assists in 106 games to this point. He has shown flashes of what he can be but has yet to put it together on a consistent basis. However, he ended last season on a high note, averaging 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds after March 1.

The team was dealt a tremendous blow with the injury to Chet Holmgren, but it will be looking for others to step up, including Pokusevski. For a team looking to take its next step, OKC will need everyone to show improvement with Pokusevski among them.”

With the Thunder adding three lottery picks to the roster this past summer and likely another high-lottery pick next year, the time is now or never for Pokusevski to prove he deserves to stay in Oklahoma City beyond his rookie deal.

The Chet Holmgren injury will provide Pokusevski a new lease on life with the Thunder, as a healthy Holmgren would’ve probably made it difficult for him to get consistent minutes.

Now that Holmgren is out, a large number of minutes is up in the air and Pokusevski could be one of the first in line to receive a bulk of those minutes.

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