The Oklahoma City Thunder held their annual Media Day on Monday before tipping-off training camp on Tuesday. One of the OKC Thunder’s biggest additions this offseason was assistant coach Chip Engelland. One of the best shooting coaches in the league joined Mark Daigneault’s staff, and second-year guard Josh Giddey was asked about Engelland during Media Day.
During his rookie campaign, Josh Giddey was fabulous. He dazzled his way to four triple-doubles, quickly becoming one of the best passers in the league, and finish the year averaging 12 points, seven rebounds, and six assists while shooting 41 percent from the floor.
The lone area Josh Giddey struggled with was his three-point shooting. The Australia guard stroked the trey ball at a 26 percent clip, his corner three-pointer only increased to 32 percent still ranking in the 17th percentile for his position.
The Oklahoma City Thunder added Chip Engelland to the coaching staff, and it will have a big impact on Josh Giddey
Josh Giddey explained his relationship with Chip Engelland, and his reaction to the hiring “I was so excited when told me we ere bringing in Chip , I told my agent and he had a big smile on his face. Ever since he has been here we’ve been together two or three times a day working out.”
Along with those Chip Engelland workouts, Josh Giddey said he spent a lot of time in the weight room and shooting the ball this offseason “It’s been a really good summer.” The second-year guard mentioned how important working out was for him this summer, saying he only spent about a month in Australia before returning to OKC and L.A. to prepare for the season.
His praise for Chip Engelland did not stop at Media Day. After the first practice of the year, Josh Giddey called Engelland a “genius.”
If Giddey can become a reliable three-point shooter, or even just an average one, throughout his career, that elevates his game to a whole new level. It is important to note you likely will not see a massive shooting percentage increase in just one year but over time the NBL product can reach his shooting potential.