Josh Giddey Ruled Out 2 More Weeks Due To Hip Injury

Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault on Saturday said the team is hopeful that rookie Josh Giddey can return to play this season after experiencing some hip soreness.

Giddey had been managing the injury prior to missing the past four games. The soreness flared up on Feb. 25 and Giddey was a late scratch from the lineup versus the Indiana Pacers. The team has ruled him out for the next two weeks to undergo treatment for the injury.

The two-week timeline will take the Thunder through March 20 when they wrap up a three-game road trip in Orlando. The Thunder will have 11 games left in the season following that period as the team is hopeful Giddey can eventually play again.

Daigneault said the team will not rush Giddey back into action too quickly.

We’re going to look at it in two weeks and that is the hope (that he can play again). We’re trying to balance development but also being cautious and being wise with how we handle every player in every circumstance. We’ll know a lot more in a couple of weeks to see how he responds to the treatment he is getting right now.

Giddey, who was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for February, is averaging 12.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists in 54 games. He leads all first-year players in assists and recently became just the second rookie to record a triple-double in three consecutive games.

The injury to Giddey certainly comes at an unfortunate time as it could jeopardize a strong rookie campaign with the Thunder. He has emerged as one of the top first-year players this season and is in the conversation for Rookie of the Year.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!