Josh Giddey Showing Noticeable Improvements During Summer League
Oklahoma City has had plenty of highlight plays this summer, with many featuring second year star Josh Giddey.
Giddey has looked a step ahead of the competition in his second summer with the Thunder. His development is key for Oklahoma City, as the team is now focused on building around Giddey, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren.
The Australian point guard has looked more comfortable on the floor, and part of that is because he’s gotten stronger this off-season. Giddey can power his way to the rim instead of shying away from contact. He’s had multiple strong finishes in the paint, including a few poster dunks.
Another aspect of his game that added strength enhances is his driving ability. With added muscle and weight, it’s harder to slow Giddey down on a drive and you can’t just swipe at him. He seems to be getting by defenders easier and getting to his spots in the paint when he drives.
The main area that Giddey needs to improve remains the outside shooting. His jump shooting in the summer league has been underwhelming, minus a few step back 3-pointers. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but an improvement over the course of his sophomore campaign would be very encouraging.
Even without the shooting, though, Giddey has proven to he can be a star on the court and is providing affirmation this summer. While teams give him space from downtown, he’s still able to operate the offense with ease and navigate the pick-and-roll to perfection. He’s also able to drive inside, draw defenders in and kick out to shooters in the corners. He’s shown flashes of a promising floater too, displaying nice touch off the glass. Developing an outside shot would just be icing on the cake.
The noticeable improvements in just a few months of off-season work should be encouraging for Thunder fans. Giddey is clearly a hard worker looking to improve his game.
