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It's only been three years since Sam Presti went on a trade binge to acquire a cupboard of draft assets to kickstart a rebuild into the future. Well, the future is now for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are poised to end their tanking era and are now looking to compete in the Western Conference this upcoming campaign. With big expectations this year, one Thunder player will shock the world with a breakout 2023-24 season, and that is Josh Giddey.
After completely tearing the team down in the summer of 2020, Oklahoma City spent two seasons near the bottom of the league standings. Led by All-NBA First Team guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder blossomed to win 40 games this past 2022-23 season and look ready to take the next step this year. Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged as a budding superstar and his stint at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, where he led Canada to a Bronze medal, should solidify his standing as a top-10 player in the NBA.
The Thunder have a lot of breakout candidates heading into this season. Chet Holmgren could have a big debut campaign after spending his supposedly rookie year on the sidelines due to injury. Jalen Williams could take the leap after earning All-Rookie First Team honors last season. But chief among them will be Giddey, who like SGA, also stood out for his country Australia in the World Cup.
With a strong sophomore campaign under his belt and a stellar stint at the international level, expect Josh Giddey to have a big 2023-24 season for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Thunder breakout star for 2023-24 season: Josh Giddey
With Gilgeous-Alexander emerging as the Thunder's main engine and Holmgren set to anchor their defense, Josh Giddey could be the glue that puts things all together for Oklahoma City.
Giddey's rookie season was sort of a mixed bag. The Australian had solid numbers for a rookie — 12.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game. But like most NBA debutants, he struggled with his efficiency. Giddey shot just 41.9 percent from the field and 26.3 percent from three, which translated to a true shooting percentage of 47.8 percent.
He improved in his sophomore year as his shooting percentage went up to a solid 48.2 percent. His true shooting percentage bumped up to 53.3 percent as a result. But those are still below average percentages for anyone in the NBA. Giddey is still a below-average shooter as he shot just 32.5 percent from beyond the arc on low volume (3.1 attempts). Another culprit to a lesser degree is his struggles from the freethrow line, where he shoots just over 72 percent.
Improving his outside shot will obviously be the next step for Giddey, who will turn 21 years old next week. He didn't particularly showcase that in the FIBA World Cup either, as he did most of his damage inside the arc. He made just two threes throughout the tournament on 12 attempts.
Catering to his strengths
Nonetheless, Giddey seems to have become more aware of his strengths in his sophomore season. Over 30 percent of his shots as a rookie came from beyond the arc. That number went below 20 percent in his second year in the league.
Like his teammate Gilgeous-Alexander, the Australian has an uncanny way of getting to the basket despite not necessarily being the fastest or most athletic player in the world. His ability to slow down and shift has allowed him to score near the basket. Over 68 percent of his shots in his sophomore year came within 10 feet.
Giddey has always produced with the three main counting stats as seen from his rookie numbers. He is always going to be a nightly triple-double threat. This past 2022-23 season, the 6-foot-8 wing averaged 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists in 76 games. During the World Cup, he averaged 19.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists and even had back-to-back 25-point games for the Boomers.
As mentioned, Giddey won't need to become a lights out scorer for OKC, but he could emerge as a secondary option behind SGA. For that to happen, though, he'll need to improve his outside shooting as well as his freethrows, as mentioned earlier.
What's encouraging about his World Cup stint, though, is that he actually got to the freethrow line. He averaged over five foul shot attempts in five games at the international tournament. However, he did shoot just 65.4 percent from the line during the World Cup.
If he is able to improve his percentages and maintain the kind of volume he shot at the tournament, it would not be shocking if he ends up averaging over 20 points per game this upcoming season.
Expect Giddey to get more assists as well, with an added target in Holmgren. The 2022 No. 2 overall pick could be a prime partner as both a roller obviously because he's a towering 7-foot-1 giant and a popper with his ability to knock down the three-ball.
With the Thunder looking to be competitive this upcoming season, big things should be in line for Josh Giddey.
