Oklahoma City Thunder: what should we expect from Josh Giddey?
Josh Giddey was selected 6th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2021 draft. Giddey is a 6 foot 8 guard out of Australia. Playing for the Adelaide 36ers, Giddey showcased an NBA-level skillset every time he stepped on the court.
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Giddey’s main strength is his talent as a floor general. He’s an elite playmaker, especially in the pick and roll. His height at the point guard position allows him to see over defenses better than a more traditionally sized point guard could. He also has a very high offensive IQ and isn’t afraid to thread the needle through defenders. He controls the tempo of the game and elevates his teammates on the offensive end.
As far as scoring, Giddey likes to attack the paint. He’s developed a large arsenal of floaters and runners to compensate for his lack of explosiveness. He’s not a bad spot-up shooter, but he doesn’t rely on his jumpshot the way a player like Stephen Curry or Damian Lillard would. He’s more similar to someone like Russell Westbrook in that aspect- he’s not afraid to shoot, but he’d much rather attack the paint. Overall, Giddey is a solid scorer, despite not being as quick as most guards.
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Defensively, Giddey is tough, and his all-around intelligence translates to that side of the ball. He’s a solid defender, but his lateral quickness is questionable. It’s also unknown if he’ll be able to defend bigger positions, such as small forwards and power forwards, that are in his height range. Giddey stands at 6’8, 205 pounds. While he’s big for a point guard, the average NBA height and weight for an NBA small forward is 6’8 and 220 pounds. Overall, Giddey is sound on the defensive end, and his strengths outweigh his weaknesses.
Giddey has multiple weaknesses. His shooting can be streaky, so he’ll have to improve his shooting to be a real threat from the outside. He’s also not as explosive or quick as the majority of NBA guards, and this could limit his ability to create space for himself. There’s also a question mark hanging over his defense: can he keep up with guards? Is he big and strong enough to handle small forwards?
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Giddey has drawn comparisons to players like Spencer Dinwiddie and Ricky Rubio. Like Dinwiddie, Giddey is a large guard that’s great in the pick and roll. Giddey’s vision is already better than Dinwiddie’s has ever been. The comparison to Rubio comes through his creativity with his passes. He’s incredible at passes off the dribble, and is precise and consistent throwing with either hand.
Overall, Giddey looks to be a solid player, and the Thunder didn’t make a bad choice taking him so high in the draft. Hopefully, he’ll develop well among other young players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, and Aleksej Pokusevski, who’ve all made major strides since joining the Oklahoma City Thunder.