Unreliable defense
While his offense is a massive negative for the OKC Thunder, Josh Giddey’s defense has not been helping at all this season.
Giddey’s defensive breakdowns have continuously thrown a monkey wrench on the club's overall performances.
Simply put, the man is flawed on defense.
Essa posse defensiva do Giddey 🤮🤮🤮 pic.twitter.com/HB7H4Dkbqd
— Oklahoma City Brasil 🇧🇷 (@oklahoma_br) February 14, 2024
He is a poor point-of-attack defender, often losing matchups against better offensive players. With this inability to defend out on the perimeter, Giddey is often designated to cover spot-up shooters or parked in the corner.
His counting stats have also shown his lack of defensive awareness, as he's averaging under one steal and one block per game.
As a point forward in the Thunder’s grand scheme of things, Giddey should be able to defend multiple positions. To his credit, he tries really hard to resist the offense.
Giddey, however, remains a target for better offensive players, which could be fatal in playoff environments.
Giddey is also prone to defensive mistakes. He gets beaten on passes, as his awareness indicates that he sometimes is not up to the task defensively.
These problems could indicate early what is to come for the Thunder in the playoffs. These reasons could allow Giddey to easily be schemed out, and eliminate himself from the floor.
Time will tell if he can be in the playoff rotation come April.