Josh Giddey Maintaining Efficiency While Leading Team Australia
Team Australia opened up FIBA match play with an emphatic 98-72 win over Finland. One thing that looks certain so far — is the team goes as Josh Giddey goes.
In the squad’s opening round win, Giddey had a massive game, nearly recording the first triple double of his FIBA career. He racked up 14 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists in the route of Finland. In the process, he became the first player with more than 10-5-5 in his first World Cup game since LeBron James back in 2006.
Giddey was a major stock riser during Oklahoma City’s 2022-23 campaign, and didn’t come close to a sophomore slump. He averaged 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game with the Thunder — improving in nearly every statistical category. The scary part is the point guard is just 20 years old.
Before Australia’s opening round win, ESPN wrote a segment on FIBA’s most interesting players. Of course, Giddey made the cut.
“Giddey has been on a rocket ship trajectory the past few years, and still isn't even 21 yet, making Oklahoma City Thunder fans wonder just how much more untapped potential he still has going into his third NBA season,” Jonathan Givony wrote at ESPN.
“Whether or not Australia will be able to fulfill their World Cup medal hopes will depend heavily on the point guard's ability to emerge as a legit star on a global scale, as coach Brian Goorjian has already said the team will be largely “built around him.”
When playing for the Thunder, Giddey has been a distributer and a secondary scorer. It's the perfect opportunity for him to grow as a player and expand his arsenal by playing for a team like Australia. The higher Giddey's ceiling increases, the deeper Oklahoma City can go in the playoffs someday.
The international basketball world is now seeing what Thunder fans have seen for two seasons now. Giddey is blossoming into a special all-around player, and considering he's still one of the younger players in the league, there's no telling what he could turn into.
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