The OKC Thunder have enjoyed seeing Josh Giddey develop at the 2023 FIBA World Cup in his first go-around with Team Australia. The Boomers are tasking the 20-year-old with leading the offense and placing him in charge of getting timely buckets down the stretch of games, a bit of a different role than what he sees with the Oklahoma City Thunder. To tip off round two of the tournament, he will match up with one of the best players in the world, Luka Doncic.
Josh Giddey, in his three round-one games at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, is averaging a team-high 19 points, seven assists, and six rebounds per tilt. Giddey has grown as a scorer, punishing smaller matchups on the way to the rack, where he is shooting 68 percent. The area that has excited the OKC Thunder the most is his free throw attempts, up to six per contest from his career average of 1.7 attempts per game at the NBA level.
Earning more trips to the Charity Stripe is the key to elevating your scoring averages in the association; it transformed his Thunder teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander into a 31-point-per-game scorer.
Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic has high praise for OKC Thunder rising star Josh Giddey ahead of their 2023 FIBA World Cup round two matchups.
Team Australia will play Team Slovenia on Friday at 7:10 A.M. central on ESPN+. Josh Giddey, Josh Green, Patty Mills, and company will see one of their toughest tests in taming Luka Doncic.
Ahead of the matchup with Josh Giddey, Luka Doncic told Grant Afseth of Dallas Basketball that the 20-year-old guard is a “Great player, I know him well from the NBA from OKC,” Doncic said of Giddey. “He is very versatile. His shot is probably his weakest link, but even that is pretty good.”
Josh Giddey has only gotten better as the FIBA World Cup stage continues; in a big summer of development, a matchup with Luka Doncic is just what the doctor ordered as a barometer for Giddey’s growth.