Josh Giddey vs. Scottie Barnes: Part One
Josh Giddey and Scottie Barnes faced off for the first time in their young careers, as the Oklahoma City Thunder came away victorious, defeating the Toronto Raptors 110-109.
Giddey had a few highlight plays against his fellow rookie, including a monster block.
As Evan Mobley has taken over the top spot of the NBA rookie ladder rankings, Barnes has spent a good portion of the season there. The Florida State product has continued to impress with his athletic ability and his fiery energy. Barnes can get to the rim with ease, and it was on display last night in Toronto.
Giddey has been somewhat of a surprise this year, as many people wondered if his skills would translate to the NBA. So far, his game has translated seamlessly. The Australian, who sits at fifth on the rookie ladder, has impressed with his passing, court vision and shot creating skills. There were questions about his scoring ability, but Giddey has shown he can get to the rim with ease and his jump shot has been better than advertised.
Last night, Giddey and Barnes went head-to head. Both rookies filled the stat sheet, as expected.
Barnes logged 38 minutes, playing a good portion of the game for Toronto. He netted 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists. His game has drawn comparisons to Draymond Green, as he’s so good at pushing the pace in transition and has elite defensive potential. The Florida State product also added two blocks and one steal.
Giddey had an unusually high number of turnovers with five, but had a strong performance otherwise. It’s very clear when Giddey is off the court that the offense becomes more stagnant, as OKC now relies on him to generate shots for others. The 6-foot-9 guard finished his night with 13 points, eight assists and four rebounds, including 3-of-5 shooting from 3-point range. Giddey has continued to look comfortable with the ball in his hands and continues to make the most out of added responsibility.
For Barnes, last night marks his eighth straight game in double-figures. On the season, he's averaging 15.2 points, eight rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. He's also shooting 48.8% from the floor and 34.7% from three, both extremely efficient numbers, especially for a rookie.
Giddey now has six straight games of four or more assists. After last nights performance, he upped his season averages to 10.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists per contest.
The Thunder were linked to Barnes for months leading up to the draft, until Toronto surprisingly selected him over Jalen Suggs at pick No. 4 overall. Because of the pre-draft smoke, and OKC selecting Giddey at six, the two will always be compared to each other.
So far, both rookies look like safe bets to have long, successful NBA careers.
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