Rookie Tracker: Giddey, Mann Reach New Heights for OKC

To the dismay of Thunder fans hoping for better draft positioning, guards Josh Giddey and Tre Mann reached new heights in the last week for Oklahoma City.

Just two thirds of the way through their debut seasons, both Giddey and Mann have yet to reach the rookie wall that stops most in their tracks. Each has seen continues, albeit gradual improvement that culminated in the few games before All-Star weekend.

Giddey heads into All-Star break with a three-game streak of recording triple doubles. His first, surprisingly the least flashy, was 11 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists versus the Bulls.

His second, his best game to date, featured 28 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds in an overtime win versus the struggling New York Knicks. In the final game before break, he posted 17 points and 10 rebounds and assist apiece in a hard-fought loss to San Antonio.

Not only has Giddey not hit the wall, he’s continuing to gain traction as a future star in the NBA.

Mann saw similar success. While not the passer or rebounder Giddey is, he poured on two of the best offensive performances from a rookie Oklahoma City has seen in a long while.

In Madison Square Garden, Mann poured on 30 points on 9-for-16 shooting in his best game yet. He hit four 3-pointers and snagged to steals as well. In the follow-up contest against the Spurs, he finished with 24 points on 50 percent shooting, tacking on six rebounds and three assists.

OKC will be back in action following the break on Thursday, Feb. 24 with a matchup against the white-hot Phoenix Suns.

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