How Could Josh Giddey Find Long-Term Role on the Thunder Offense?
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The Oklahoma City Thunder drafted Josh Giddey with the sixth pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. At the time, there might not have been too much hype around the pick, and he wasn’t able to showcase his skills in Summer League as he suffered an ankle injury.
When Giddey made his debut, it didn’t take long for him to show promise and impress the fans. He’s still incredibly young at just 20-years-old, and won’t be 21-years-old until next season. If nothing else, Aleksej Pokusevski, along with many other great examples, show why it’s important to hold judgment over a young player.
There’s still plenty of time for Giddey to bump up his efficiency while finding out how to get to his spots where he can comfortably score on the court. Realistically, the starting lineup could develop to the point where the Thunder don’t need much more than 15 points per game from Giddey.
Right now, Giddey is averaging 15.1 points per game, a 2.6 points per game boost from his rookie year, but he’s figuring out how to do so efficiently. If Chet Holmgren comes to the team with a decent offensive impact while Lu Dort continues to improve offensively, Giddey wouldn’t have to be a reliable secondary scorer, and just put up points when needed. We know he’s going to provide elite playmaking and passing, so points feel like a bonus at that point.
If Giddey did become an 18 points per game scorer, however, there wouldn’t be any issues. Beyond Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is an incredible scorer, the remainder of the points can come from wherever and the team can find success.
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