Thunder rookie Josh Giddey out for rest of season due to hip injury

Josh Giddey, who raised eyebrows when the Thunder took him No. 6 in last year’s NBA Draft but went on to have an impressive rookie season, is now out for the campaign’s final weeks due to the hip injury that has had him out for close to a month.

Giddey has been out since Feb. 24, missing 15 games, with right hip soreness. Saturday, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Giddey would be out the rest of the way. Here is the coach’s quote, via Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman.

“He’s making good progress with the hip, but we’re running out of time in terms of a ramp-up, so he will be done for the year,” Daigneault said. “By the time we do a return-to-play with him and get him game-ready, we’re gonna run out of games.”

This is not a surprise with the Thunder, a team notorious for bringing players back slowly from injury and one looking to tank improve their lottery odds. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains out but there is no word on if he will play again this season. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl will return for a few games.

Giddey had an impressive rookie season, averaging 12.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game, and was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month four times. He will make the All-Rookie team at the end of the season (whether he played enough games for voters to keep him on the first team remains to be seen, but he’s a lock to make the list).