The Oklahoma City Thunder held their annual exit interviews between the OKC Thunder players and media, as we got a chance to talk to nearly every player on the roster following the 2021-22 NBA season. Josh Giddey was great, as he always is during these media sessions, and gave those of us in the media a glimpse into his first offseason as an NBA player.
Giddey, had a fantastic rookie season seeing his game compared to, statistically, some NBA legends like LeBron James, Larry Bird, Russell Westbrook, Wilt Chamberlain, Dwight Howard, Magic Johnson, and even more recent rookies like Ben Simmons and LaMelo Ball. The former NBL star logged four triple-doubles during his rookie campaign including a stretch of three straight games with a triple-double bringing his career total to four, which is more than Memphis star Ja Morant. He also turned in a double-double without scoring a point, which has not been done in the NBA since 1971.
While Josh Giddey did not receive a vote for the NBA Rookie of the Year award, despite winning four of the five Western Conference Rookie of the Month awards with a hip injury the only thing stopping Giddey from going wire-to-wire, was his rookie season was still dazzling as the sixth overall pick in the loaded 2021 NBA Draft.
The 19-year-old guard averaged 12-points, seven rebounds, and six assists per game while starting in all 54 of his games played during his rookie season. Giddey posted 41-percent from the floor, 26-percent from three-point land, and 70-percent at the line.
Josh Giddey is spending the offseason working on his jump shot with his training and OKC Thunder assistant coach Mike Wilks
There is one clear area Giddey needs to work on to take his game to the next level, his shooting. Giddey shot above 28-percent from three just two months of his rookie season (33-percent in October, and 28-percent in January) but his floater game around the rim shows promise for his shooting stroke.
From the corner three, Giddey shoots 32-percent, while turning in just 25-percent from non-corner spots beyond the arc. At the rim, the lengthy guard shot a lowly 57-percent placing him in the 26ht percentile by his position. Where the Oklahoma City Thunder rookie thrived was in the mid-range shooting 44-percent, good enough for the 75th percentile.
What should give OKC Thunder fans comfort is not only will a fixed jump shot make Giddey even better, but the youngster has been open about needing to change his jump shot this offseason and get better as a shooter. Many young players think they have it all figured out, and would rather bang their heads against the wall than make a change.
For Josh Giddey, his strong work ethic, acknowledgment of the problem, and the Thunder’s track record of development give reason to believe he can add a jump shot to his game. Off that jumper forces NBA defenses to play him higher around the perimeter allowing for Giddey to get to the rim more comfortable, using his floater, or driving and kicking to open teammates with his elite passing ability.