Drafted the sixth position by the Thunder in 2021 and considered a long-term development prospect, Josh Giddey surprised observers by immediately imposing himself in the team’s rotations. Best passer in the rookie tank with 6.4 assists and second rebounder with 7.8 catches per game, his versatility is his main asset. The Australian has already accumulated 4 triple doubles and stood out by becoming the youngest player in history to achieve a TD (19 years and 84 days). Unfortunately, the winger couldn’t finish the regular season, stuck in the infirmary at the end of February with a hip injury. Studious, he spent the summer strengthening himself physically to withstand the shock of 82 games:
The off-season was good, I worked on things that I need to improve. Back OKC now, the team is together, all the guys are ready to go back. My body feels good, I’m ready to go again. We have excellent medical staff here and they take great care of all of us. They have been great with me, focusing on the things my body needs. Obviously it was important to take care of that hip last year. I spent a lot of time in the weight room making sure that these little issues that occur throughout the year can be avoided as much as possible. I can go through the 82 matches in good health. It’s a long season, so taking care of your body is a very important part of an NBA player’s life.
In reconstruction for two seasons, the Thunder thought of shifting into high gear with the draft of Chet Holmgren. But, a foot injury will force the rookie to watch his comrades from the sidelines. With reduced ambitions, Josh Giddey simply hopes to do better than last year, when the Thunder had not exceeded 24 wins.
The common objective is to be better than last year. I will say the same thing next year, of course, but we must continue to improve gradually. It’s difficult to go from a rebuilding team to a contender team in a year. I think being competitive every night is something we want to be proud of. There were nights last year when it was obvious that the teams were more experienced and more talented than us. But I think this year if we can play with the mentality of competing with anyone and that will put us on the right track for the future. I can’t wait to play with this team, they are a hungry group.
Elected Rookie of the Month four times in the Western Conference, the Australian was nevertheless snobbish when appointing All Rookie Teams. Ditto for the title of Rookie of Anne, where Giddey did not receive the slightest vote. Asked by Newscom Australia on his revengeful spirit, the Thunder player kicks into touch:
In the end, I can’t decide who is on these teams, it just happens. The guys who made the All-Rookie First Team were all deserving. It’s a top rookie tank we had last year and there’s talent everywhere. I don’t really think about it. In 20 years, no one will say “Josh was part of the First or the Second Team”. So it’s not the end of the world for me.
During the offseason, Josh Giddey worked on his main shortcoming, his outside shooting. Spurs legendary shooting coach Chip Engelland moved to the Oklahoma side this summer and was quick to take the Aussie under his wing.
Shooting is the most important thing for me this offseason. I spent a lot of time in the room taking shots. Obviously having Chip England here at the Thunder is perfect for me. He is fantastic. Chip has some difficult methods to explain. He’s actually a wizard. He’s different from all the other coaches I’ve had who told me, “Shoot that way.” Chip is one of the best guys I’ve seen. He’s been doing so long with San Antonio. When I found out he was coming from OKC, I knew he was someone I was going to spend a lot of time with. I look forward to continuing to work with him.
Leave a Comment