Expect More From Josh Giddey
The rebuilding Oklahoma City Thunder are constructed around an extremely young core. Sure, inexperience may have cost them in the early years, but as they move forward, they continue to grow together. They improve together. They learn what it takes to win together.
While the 2023 Summer League saw Chet Holmgren flash glimpses of his former self after missing his rookie season due to injury, another rising OKC star will have a massive role to play in 2023-24.
In his first season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Josh Giddey averaged 12.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 0.9 steals, and 41.9% field goal shooting. Giddey’s performance was good enough to earn a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
By his second season, the sixth pick from the 2021 NBA Draft ratcheted his numbers up to 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 0.8 steals per contest on 48.2% field goal shooting across 76 regular-season games. Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his MVP like year, Giddey and the rest of the Thunder finished the 2022-2023 regular season with a 40-42 record, and qualified for the play-in tournament. They took care of business against the New Orleans Pelicans before bowing out against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In their matchup versus the Pels, Giddey had 31 points, ten rebounds, nine assists, and a block. Against Minnesota, the 20-year-old former Australian NBL star was limited to six points, five rebounds, and four assists in 30 minutes- wrapping up a season filled with ups and downs.
With a full offseason to take away lessons from their brief postseason run, Giddey and company will be expected to finally contend in the Western Conference this fall.
Heightened Expectations
Despite missing the playoffs, many believe Giddey’s strong finish last season should set the expectations for the incoming third-year player once the 2023-2024 campaign starts rolling. With Chet Holmgren finally joining the party, there’s perhaps no one more excited for the future of the team than the Australian shooting guard.
“Very excited, I think our team is going to go to another level this year,” Giddey told reporters. “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,” he added.
The six-foot-six guard has largely played most of his NBA career without a true scoring big man at centre. Adding Holmgren’s seven-foot-one frame to the mix will do wonders for his pick-and-roll game, hopefully leading to easier buckets and an increased assist output. If the duo is able to stay healthy over the long haul, and Shai keeps performing at an All-World level, the Thunder might be able to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
A Giddey-Holmgren duo is just one of the reasons why many people are banking on the Thunder to make some serious noise in the ever-stacked Western Conference. Despite being one of the youngest teams in the league, the Thunder look like a squad ready to bring a winning culture back to OKC.
After years of stockpiling draft picks, and acting as a dumping ground for bad contracts, it’s time for Sam Presti & Co. to finally emerge from their arduous rebuild process. SGA may be under contract through 2027, but as we’ve seen time and again, all it takes is a trade request for a once promising team to be cast back into “sell mode”. Gilgeous-Alexander is in his prime now. The next 4-5 years are going to be your window to compete with this current core.
While no one is expecting OKC to win it all this season, a failure to at least reach the postseason has to raise serious questions about the direction of the team. July 16th marked the 4 year anniversary of the team trading Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets. A deal that signalled the final major roster jettison from the KD, Westbrook, James Harden era. With a full Olympic cycle having now passed, it’s time for the fanbase’s patience to be rewarded with additive roster moves, as opposed to accumulating future assets.
Giddey, Holmgren, Williams, and SGA should be getting playoff reps come next spring as the team begins to open their window to compete. But for now, Giddey will be looking to gain some international experience with an upstart Australian side at the upcoming FIBA World Cup.
The 20 year old will be expected to help carry the scoring load for the Aussies this summer. A role he hasn’t had to play in Oklahoma City, but one that could help position him for an explosive season this fall.
Australia kicks off their tournament with an August 25th tilt against Finland.
-Iggy Gonzales
Photo: Erik Drost. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.