Thunder Prospect Evaluation: Josh Giddey
Set to be a franchise cornerstone for the Oklahoma City Thunder, rookie Josh Giddey has extremely high expectations. In somewhat of a shocking pick, the Thunder selected him sixth overall in the 2021 NBA Draft.
The second-youngest player in the entire NBA, Giddey is just 18 years old and is the perfect prospect. A 6-foot-9 point guard, he’s the ideal backcourt partner for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The first lottery pick the Thunder have had the luxury of drafting in many years, Giddey could be a player that expedites the rebuild in OKC if he ends up being as good as many think he can be.
As each player in this series is evaluated, it’s important to consider the prospect they are now, but more importantly how they could look in five years when the Thunder are a competitive playoff team once again.
Last Season’s Numbers
One of the most talented Australian basketball players in history, Giddey has been a star in the making for quite some time.
Last season in the NBL, Giddey averaged 10.9 points, 7.5 assists and 7.4 rebounds per game. This included several triple-doubles as he dominated matchups against professionals.
While he isn’t the most explosive or athletic player, Giddey is extremely smart on the floor and has the potential to be one of the best passers in the NBA. He’s also a solid rebounder for a guard with his unprecedented height at the position.
All eyes were on Giddey as he headlined Oklahoma City’s NBA Summer League roster earlier this month. Unfortunately, he played in just three offensive possessions before being ruled out for the remainder of the games in Las Vegas.
Due to an ankle injury early in his debut wearing a Thunder uniform, Giddey played just over five minutes of action before his summer league came to an end. He finished with two points while converting on one of his three shots from the floor.
Fit On Current Roster
Although he’s an 18-year-old rookie, Giddey could start for the Thunder this season. Even if he doesn’t, he’ll certainly be top-five in minutes per game as OKC looks to get him acquainted to the NBA style of play.
There’s quite a few promising young players on the Thunder roster, but Giddey will immediately become one of the most important. He’ll get repetitions at a handful of positions as the team looks to put him in as many different scenarios as possible to develop.
Whether he’s a starter or not, Giddey should be on the court as much as anyone as a rookie.
Long-Term Fit
With Giddey’s ability to play up to four positions in certain situations, he fits what the Thunder are trying to build perfectly. Whether it’s one of the guard spots or on the wing that’s his main long-term position, this flexibility will allow OKC to acquire other players over the next few seasons without having to worry about positional restrictions.
The one piece of his game that could really use work is his 3-point shot. Giddey’s mechanics are a bit unorthodox and the efficiency from beyond the arc reflects that. If he’s going to be a true star in the NBA, he’ll need to become at least a respectable shooter from deep.
There’s no question the plan is for Giddey to be in Oklahoma City for the next decade or more. Any time you select a guy in the top-ten, the hope is that he’s a cornerstone to expedite the rebuild.
Prospect Grade
A
Giddey is the second-best prospect on the Thunder roster behind Gilgeous-Alexander. With that in mind, he’s several years younger than him, meaning that narrative could change quickly depending on how he plays early in his career.
Being 18 years old is a huge advantage for OKC, as they’ll have the ability to be patient throughout his development. The summer before his fourth NBA season, Giddey will only be 21 years old and will have a ton of experience under his belt.
There’s a good chance that Giddey is a high-impact player as a rookie, but if not, the size and intangibles he has at 18 still make him a fascinating prospect. If he was a better athlete and shooter at this point in his career, he’d be an A+ but doesn’t fit that bill yet.
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