Josh Giddey Navigating Through the Highs and Lows of the NBA

Oklahoma City's rising star has experienced ups and downs over his first two seasons, and will use his experienced to help him in year three.

Josh Giddey is heading into his third NBA season as a member of the Thunder, and expectations are rising for both the point guard and the team itself. Giddey flashed potential in his first season but Oklahoma City really struggled as a team, winding up with the second pick in the NBA draft. Last season, the Australian took a huge leap and the Thunder had major success as a team, overshooting expectations and making the postseason.

Giddey has experienced highs and lows throughout his first two NBA seasons, but he’s learning how to deal with the lifestyle. His strong finish to last season indicates his growth as a consistent player.

“You know, 82 games is a long year,” Giddey said. “I think if you get caught up in every good and bad game you have, it’s a lot of highs and lows to ride. So for me, I learned to put the past in the past pretty quickly. You have a bad game, move on, you have a good game, never get too high and never get too low.

“That was a big lesson I learned, I struggled with it early on because as a young player in the league you want to impress, it’s your first time with everybody in the world seeing you play so you can get caught up in that. For me, once you stay pretty level-headed and consistent, your emotion level, it makes your life and playing basketball a lot easier.”

After the All-Star Break, Giddey averaged 17.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game in 31.9 minutes per night. He was indispensable down the stretch during Oklahoma City’s run to the play-in and elevated his all-around game.

With a center like Chet Holmgren, Giddey’s game is expected to take an even bigger jump next season. A pick-and-roll/lob threat should unlock a new gear to his game and Holmgren could be just the player to do it. If he helps the team take a big step, the Thunder could be headed back to the playoffs for the first time since the COVID-19 season.

“Very excited, I think our team is going to go to another level this year,” Giddey said. “Obviously Chet is coming back healthy, all of our guys are having good summers so hopefully we come back to training camp and hit the ground running, and you know, we’re in for a good year.”

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.