OKC Thunder: Bleacher Report Names Josh Giddey a Most Improved Candidate
The Oklahoma City Thunder have seen Josh Giddey’s potential for years, and now national media is seeing it.
In a recent article, Bleacher Report listed Giddey as one of its 10 Most Improved Player candidates. After notable improvement in his second NBA season and an impressive run at the FIBA World Cup, it’s no surprise that Giddey is getting attention.
The article emphasized Giddey’s outside shooting, an area where he has already shown improvement. His frequency of taking 3-point shots went down from his rookie season, but his effectiveness from that range rose.
Giddey shot 32.5% on 3-pointers last season, which is not great but is better than the 26.3% mark in his rookie year. While his percentage is unlikely to jump that dramatically again next season, a rise to the league average at 36% is more than doable.
Bleacher Report also pointed out that the Thunder now have a precedent of star improvement set by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Giddey is less scoring-oriented as a player, but his aggression could still drive stats increases across the board.
Last season, Giddey continued to show his skill as an all-around contributor with averages of 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists. It may be ambitious to say Giddey will join Gilgeous-Alexander as an all-star next season, but a spike in his stat line could do the trick.
Considering the attention Giddey has gotten by being on the radar for Most Improved, a potential all-star jump is an expectation for him in the near future. His play as the top option for Australia in the FIBA World Cup only helped those sentiments.
Giddey’s 19.4 points per game in five World Cup games showed that he could not only be a consistent option against elite talent but also that he could do so under immense pressure. He also got to the foul line at a much higher rate than he has in the NBA, taking over five shots a game from there.
Getting inside is already a specialty of Giddey, as he led Oklahoma City in paint touches last season and finished behind only Gilgeous-Alexander in points in the paint. The ability and playstyle are already set up for Giddey to take a leap.
With a slightly higher usage and heightened emphasis on operating in the paint, Giddey could make a legitimate run at Most Improved Player and even get some all-star consideration if the Thunder are good enough.
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