Josh Giddey is making the leap in Oklahoma City
Giddey's rise alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, is powering one of the NBA's most exciting young backcourt duos.
Coming off a strong rookie season, where he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, Josh Giddey faced the challenge of reaching a new level. The 2022 NBA offseason brought some hype with it, as Oklahoma City hired assistant coach Chip Engelland, a renowned “shot doctor” who helped the likes of Kawhi Leonard in San Antonio.
Giddey has always drawn praise as a stat sheet suffer who can impact the game in numerous ways, but his jump shot was a key talking point ahead of the 2022-23 season. Although the Aussie averaged 12.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists in his rookie year, while becoming the youngest player in league history to record a triple-double, the shooting concerns have always lingered in the background. Giddey made just 26% of his three-pointers last season, on four attempts per game, and connected on only 36% of his midrange jumpers, as per basketball-reference.
Fast forwarding to the present day, Giddey is still a regular triple-double threat, with current season averages of 16.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists. His famous passing ability continues to make its way onto highlight reels, and from all sorts of angles. The young guard is adept at making dump off passes to find open shooters, and bullet passes from a standstill position —including inbound plays— but it’s his bounce passes that really defy belief. Giddey has shown remarkable chemistry with recently drafted Thunder rookie Jalen Williams, who is an adept inside cutter, as seen in the video below.
Some may wonder why a passing wizard like Giddey isn’t perched atop the NBA assist leaderboard, but it’s simply because he shares the ball with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. OKC’s Canadian superstar is a dominant backcourt figure, averaging 74 touches per game - a touch less than Giddey’s 78. Gilgeous-Alexander is enjoying a breakout season of his own, with season averages of 30.7 points and 5.5 assists, although that hasn’t stopped Giddey from making his own mark on the team.
