Thunder Guard Josh Giddey to Face Larger Expectations in Year Two

OKC's Josh Giddey will have higher expectations following his successful rookie season.

Fresh off the 2021 NBA Draft, Thunder fans had lower expectations for Australian guard Josh Giddey.

Not low expectations, mind you, just lower than most 6th overall selections.

After talking themselves into a variety of players, very few mentioning Giddey, most Oklahoma City fans didn’t know how to feel when Giddey’s name was the sixth called.

After a blindingly short Summer League stint in 2021, Giddey was nearly a complete unknown both skill and fit wise coming into his rookie season.

Some flashy passes and step-throughs later, Giddey fun style of play and confident but veteran-like attitude quickly won over the fanbase. He was the first true, home-grown piece to Oklahoma City’s rebuild, and as long as he was on the court, he could do no wrong.

Sarah Phipps / The Oklahoman

But in year two, Giddey will need to do more than he did as a rookie. The unknown is what made Giddey a gem in year one. But the better part of a rookie season and a 2022 Summer League later, there’s obvious signs that point to how Giddey can improve his game: shooting and defense.

Of course, the passing, basketball IQ and overall court-general aspect of Giddey’s game make him a good player. But knowing capabilities opens the door to expectations, and the young Australian guard will have them in 2022-23.

Giddey will be expected to improve, at least some, on his faults. And those are no easy things to improve. In Summer League, his shooting and defense didn't look noticeably better.

Luckily for him, Oklahoma City's talent-level is only growing, meaning he'll have even more opportunity to get others involved while working on his own development.

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