Jason Kidd Praises Josh Giddey: 'He's As Good As Advertised'

Thunder rookie Josh Giddey is a special talent, emerging as one of the most promising young guards in the NBA despite being the second youngest player in the league.

On Sunday night against the Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City was without its best player in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, meaning Giddey would take on a much larger role. Not only would he need to score at a higher rate, but he'd also be tasked with facilitating the offense more heavily.

Prior to the game, Mavericks head coach and former superstar point guard Jason Kidd spoke about how special Giddey is for his age.

"You look at some of the stat lines, ten rebounds and ten assists but doesn't score, he has an impact on the game," said Kidd. "It's kinda old school, where he doesn't have to score to make an impact. We understand that he can affect the game in different ways, we've gotta make it tough on him. He's had a great rookie year."

While the Mavs did make it tough on Giddey, he still had a spectacular night. In fact, he made history as the youngest player in NBA history to notch a triple-double. He finished with 17 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds in the Thunder’s 95-86 loss to the Mavericks.

Josh Giddey is officially the youngest player in NBA history with a triple-double (19 years, 84 days).

LaMelo Ball (19 years, 140 days)
Markelle Fultz (19 years, 317 days)
Luka Doncic (19 years, 327 days)
LeBron James (20 years, 20 days)
Magic Johnson (20 years, 75 days)
— Nick Crain (@CrainNBA) January 3, 2022

Although his team lost, Giddey also became the youngest player to ever lead all players in points, rebounds and assists in a game. What makes this most impressive is that he was going up against Luka Doncic, who is a player that has the ability to stuff the stat sheet. Nonetheless, Giddey was the best player on the floor on Sunday night.

After the game, Kidd once again spoke about Giddey, praising his performance and saying that he's just as good of a player as advertised.

“He’s unselfish. As a 19-year old, he understands how to play the game,” the Hall of Famer said. “He’s comfortable with the ball. His teammates all know that if he has it, they’re gonna cut, because there’s a chance that they can get it. He’s comfortable shooting the 3. He has the total package. At 19, it’s just a matter of time of understanding how teams are going to play him. He’s as good as advertised.”

With a long career ahead of him, the 19-year-old Giddey is beginning to emerge as a legitimate franchise cornerstone in OKC. While not every night will be this spectacular, he's showing flashes of just how good he could be.

As such, players and coaches around the league are starting to notice.

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