OKC Thunder NBA draft profile: Josh Giddey – the gifted, lengthy playmaker

Next up for Intentions annual OKC Thunder prospect profile series is Adelaide guard Josh Giddey of the NBL.

There will be inevitable comparisons to Australian’s Ben Simmons and Joe Ingles for the 6’8 point guard from Melbourne. Yet, Giddey has qualities that will set him apart and his countrymen. Moreover, as one of the youngest prospects in the 2021 draft class, he’ll have time to grow and develop with his drafting club and build his own niche.

Giddey isn’t listed on the Australian men’s Olympic basketball team. Instead, the roster features several NBA players and a mature group that includes Patty Mills, Dante Exum, and Matthew Dellavedova.

Despite missing the cut for Tokyo, it didn’t stop the youngster from using his time on the court in an exhibition match versus Nigeria to impress several front-office executives in attendance. Giddey offered 14 points, four rebounds, and three assists.

Shortly after the match, Giddey received an invitation to the 2021 NBA Draft Green Room which is a privilege typically reserved for around 20 prospects.

At only 18-years of age, he’ll no doubt get ample opportunity to be involved in future Olympic games and instead can focus on integrating with his new team following the draft.

OKC Thunder draft prospect profile for Josh Giddey:

Specifics:

• Height: 6’8″
• Weight:  205 pounds
• Wingspan: 6’7.5
• Position: Guard
• Birthdate/Age:  October 10th, 2002, 18 years
• International: Adelaide 36ers, NBL
• Stat line:  10.9 points, 7.4 rebounds,  7.5 assists, 1.1 steals
• Home Town: Melbourne, Australia

Box Score Statistics:

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/16/2021.

Current Ranking:

• The Ringer: 13th
• NBA DraftNet: 16th
• ESPN: 11th
• CBS Sports: 9th
• NBA: 14th
• Bleacher Report: 12th
• FanSided The Step Back: 20th

With that let’s dive a little deeper into Josh Giddey to determine his strengths and weaknesses.

 Josh Giddey strengths and weaknesses

Strengths:

A late growth spurt added three inches to the frame of Giddey (6’8″) who was already tall for his position. That’s equated to the young men having to adapt to those changes although his best skill of playmaking and dime dishing wasn’t impacted and if anything enhanced his court vision.

In fact, his age belies his acumen as he plays with the mindset of a grizzled vet when it comes to quarterbacking the offense. This past season facing grown men in the NBL he led the league in assists with 7.4 per game. Already, he’s perfected the ability to effectively execute pick-and-roll offense (something many of his NCAA counterparts are still working on).

His passing skills are well above par with a veritable smorgasbord of perfected options in his passing toolkit. Whether cross-court, off the dribble or in the paint he is adept at hitting perimeter snipers, cutters or bigs in the paint making him arguably the best passer in the class.

Augmenting his skilled passing game is his ability to utilize different speeds on drives or change pace to throw off defenses. Giddey rebounds well for size though he should improve as he gains muscle.

Giddey doesn’t allow defenses to dictate the pace or rush him and for an 18-year-old the fact he can’t be forced out of his own rhythm speaks to his extremely high I.Q.

His size, instincts, and intelligence allow him to defend his position but there is work to be done in this area.

Weaknesses:

He’s limited offensively electing to primarily score on drives or via a floater he’s added and is ambidextrous.

Where the inevitable Simmons comparisons will spout is his triple-double ability but lack of shooting.  He averaged 10.9 points in the NBL last season on 9.5 field goal attempts per game for 51 percent efficiency.

From the charity stripe, he’s below average for a point guard shooting 69.1 percent on only 2.4 attempts per game.  Nor is his perimeter efficiency near the professional desired level (29.3 percent). Where he differs from Simmons is his willingness to shoot from deep (3.5 attempts per game).

Giddey has fundamental mechanical issues with his shot. Given his age and commitment to developing it’s a good bet, he’ll eagerly get in the lab with his new team to make the necessary tweaks.

He relies on his I.Q. defensively since his thin frame and lack of lateral movement make him an easy mark. It’s worth noting his wingspan is shorter than his height.  He grew three inches in the past three years which might mean he’s still growing so that could balance out. Adjusting to the growth takes time and presumably, as he fills out, gains muscle and gets comfortable in his body that should bode well for improving his defensive ability.

Pro Comparison:

The player comparisons analysts serve up for Giddey are Joe Ingles, Kyle Anderson, Evan Turner, and Joe Ingles.

It’s a bit surprising Ben Simmons doesn’t enter the fray but his body shape and defense perhaps are the reason for his omission. Ingles and Anderson are more playmaking wings while Turner in the narrator’s opinion never possessed the playmaking chops of the young Aussie.

OKC Thunder fit:

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Giddey is yet another 2021 prospect who’ll fall in the middle ground of where the OKC Thunder make their first and second selection. He’s not someone you move up to grab at sixth, nor is he likely to still be on the board by the time Sam Presti makes the 16th pick.

Clearly, there is a necessity to find the perfect backcourt running mate for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Theo Maledon is already being developed  — likely as the backup point guard.

Cade Cunningham was the player OKC hoped to select as he represented a generational talent who perfectly fit the postionless scheme OKC is invested in developing.

Giddey would also fit that scheme and at 18 could still make massive strides. The question is how high that ceiling is believed to be particularly in terms of his ability to grow as a scoring threat.

With news, the young point guard will be in the Green Room on draft night presumably he’s received a promise, likely from a lottery team (15 players have received invitations so far). That list is likely to grow with projected lottery selections such as Alperen Sengun not mentioned for example.

While I’m eager to see how the Giddey develops it’s unlikely the OKC Thunder are the club who have made a promise to the young Australian.