'He's Got Some Swagger': OKC Thunder Coach Mark Daigneault Praises Josh Giddey For Recent Consistency
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey hasn't had the simplest season.
Between his surprisingly slow start after a highly-impressive summer showing at the FIBA World Cup, adjusting back to NBA-style basketball and adding a slew of outside noise, it's not a surprise that he hasn't been as seamless a fit as he has been in year past with the Thunder.
But he's working to move past the negativity and on-court struggles that have faced him to this point.
Each passing game has given the third-year veteran a chance to better adjust and play a pivotal role for Oklahoma City alongside its young, but talented core. And according to Thunder coach mark Daigneault, that's exactly what he's done.
“He’s got some swagger right now," Mark Daigneault said of Giddey's recent success. "It’s a good example of these guys, there’s gonna be a lot of ups and downs for every single player. Nobody’s gonna have just a linear progression."
Dec 31, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey (3) celebrate after a play against the Brooklyn Nets in the second half at Paycom Center.
© Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
Up to this point, Giddey has had a seemingly-linear progression. He went from a rookie averaging a shade over 12 points a game with a near-combined 12 assists and rebounds to a sophomore with better point totals, the same assist-rebound numbers and better shooting all-around.
Giddey became a clear pass-first guard with the ability to score, and after taking his game to the next level overseas, that was expected to continue. But it didn't. Not initially, at least.
Now that he's beginning to find a groove, his teammates are ready to continue to push him to be the best player he can be.
"First off, Josh is a professional," Isaiah Joe said of his teammate. "He took it upon himself to put in the work."
His recent showing against the Brooklyn Nets was a strong example of that.
Giddey tallied 20 points, five assists, six rebounds and four made 3-pointers on an extremely efficient shooting clip. But beside his offense, he also showed up on the lesser-talked-about side of the ball. And once again, Daigneault took notice.
"He's played well and I thought his defensive intensity tonight was particularly good," the coach said. "I thought he played a very complete game."
Giddey's complete game wasn't the first of its kind, and as of late, it's actually become more common. The Thunder guard has notched double-digit points in seven of his last 10 games while finishing with more than eight assists in half of them.
He might just be beginning to find his groove, but he's certainly not looking to slow down anytime soon. And for a Thunder team needing all of the help it can get down the stretch, that's absolutely a good thing.
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