Inside The Thunder

Josh Giddey's 28 games in the NBL vs. the NBA

Josh Giddey's game has translated seamlessly from the NBL to the NBA.

Ross Lovelace

Josh Giddey has exceeded all expectations through a third of his rookie season. He has displayed his passing and playmaking ability, showing why Thunder GM Sam Presti thought so highly of him.

With Giddey being drafted at just 18 years old, and turning 19 during the first month of the season, many people expected growing pains.

Coming from the NBL in Australian, Giddey was viewed as a project-type player despite already having professional experience. His potential was off the charts, but he was far from a finished product. Giddey excelled in the NBL with the ball in his hands, as he was one of the best passers in the entire league.

One main difference between the NBL and the NBA is season length. Since the 2009-10 season, the NBL schedule has only consisted of 28 games per team. With Giddey finishing his rookie campaign in Australia playing just 28 games, there was a very small sample size to judge by.

The small sample size and concern of NBA speed made it hard to pinpoint just how Giddey’s game would translate to the next level. The 19-year-old needs the ball in his hands often, which would equate to more turnovers for most young players acclimating to the NBA style of play.

After Tuesday nights win over the Grizzlies, the Thunder rookie has now played 27 games in the NBA, and it’s safe to say his game has translated seamlessly. So far, his fit with the Thunder and in the NBA as a whole has been best case-scenario.

Giddey hasn’t missed a beat in the NBA, as his stats are nearly identical to what he was able to do in the NBL. The game hasn’t looked too fast for him, in fact it seems to slow down a little bit more with each game.

Through 28 games in the NBL, Giddey averaged 10.9 points, 7.5 assists, 7.4 rebounds, 3.3 turnovers, and shot 29.3% from 3-point range and 42.7% from the floor.

Through 27 games in the NBA, as the second youngest player in the entire league, Giddey is averaging 10.9 points, 6.2 assists, 7.1 rebounds, 2.9 turnovers, shooting 25.3% from deep and 39.4% from the floor.

While the shooting percentages aren’t where they will be some day, Giddey has shown promise in every single part of his game. His assists are slightly down from the NBL, but some of that is due to splitting ball-handling duties with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. In addition to his assists slightly declining, his turnovers have also declined.

Giddey's identical numbers from the NBL to the NBA says two things. First off, the competition in the NBL is elite. We learned that with LaMelo Ball last season and we're seeing it in action with Giddey. Secondly, the Thunder rookie has adjusted to the pace of the NBA at an incredibly fast rate. There was no steep learning curve or growing pains, as the Thunder are genuinely a much better team with Giddey on the floor.

At 6-foot-8, Giddey's elite passing, playmaking, and ability to handle the ball in the half-court and in transition make his ceiling extremely high.

It's should be very encouraging to see a small sample size of NBL numbers translate directly to his NBA game. The rookie seems to be getting more and more comfortable with each game, as his most recent ones have been his best.

The trajectory of Giddey's career and his future with the Thunder is something all fans should be excited about.

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Ross Lovelace
ROSS LOVELACE

Ross is a 2023 Oklahoma University graduate who has formerly written for the OU Daily and Prep Hoops. He now works for the New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee and covers OU sports for AllSooners.com. He has been covering the Thunder since the 2019-20 season.

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