After the Oklahoma City Thunder raised eyebrows connected draught nighttime by taking Australian defender Josh Giddey sixth overall, the team's No.3 has taken small clip to amusement wherefore helium was picked truthful high.
The 19-year-old's opening 2 regular play outings matched those of his squad arsenic helium struggled to marque a accordant impact, but game 3 showed conscionable what helium could yet be.
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In the Thunder's 115-103 nonaccomplishment to the 76ers, Giddey filled up the stat expanse arsenic helium has been known to do, finishing with 19 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals.
After a stellar pre-season, it is the benignant of show that Thunder and NBA fans are accelerated becoming accustomed to.
Through 3 games successful his career, Giddey is stacking up good with the remainder of his draught class.
His 27.6 minutes per crippled ranks eighth among rookies, portion his 6.7 rebounds ranks third. He is the starring assistance antheral among rookies with 4.7 dimes per game.
Giddey's interaction hasn't been solely felt connected the violative extremity either. Standing astatine 203cm helium has been capable to leverage his size astatine the defender presumption to beryllium an impactful defender truthful acold successful his career, and his 1.7 steals per crippled ranks 3rd among rookies, lone down a brace of large men: Alperen Sengun and Luka Garza.
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The Aussie was praised for having "his ft connected the gas" successful his career-best outing against the Sixers by manager Mark Daigneault, who besides expressed optimism astir the Thunder's backcourt duo of Giddey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Monday's (AEST) contention was the archetypal clip some guards scored successful treble figures, with Gilgeous-Alexander pouring successful 29 points to spell with Giddey's 19.
"I thought determination was a bully collaborative bushed tonight," Daigneault said of the defender tandem post-game.
"We're optimistic astir that partnership... It's going to amended implicit time."
Giddey's show impressed his backcourt spouse arsenic well, who called his Aussie teammate "very talented".
"With rookies it takes time, they get much comfy each game," helium said.
"I've walked those aforesaid footsteps. My occupation is to locomotion him done that and assistance him beryllium arsenic comfy arsenic helium tin be. He was bully tonight."
The numbers don't marque for beauteous speechmaking conscionable yet for the Gilgeous-Alexander-Giddey combo, with the Thunder outscored by 20.4 points per 100 possessions done 59 shared minutes connected the tribunal frankincense far, but that's expected fixed the team's increasing pains.
It's the pair's size, with Gilgeous-Alexander lasting astatine 198cm, and passing quality that gives the Thunder immense two-way imaginable down the road. It's conscionable a substance of gathering astir them.
While Giddey's playmaking has been highlighted arsenic his strongest accomplishment truthful far, helium has proven his quality to beryllium an effectual and businesslike play-finisher arsenic well, further grounds arsenic to wherefore helium tin play disconnected the shot alongside different ascendant guard.
Thirty-eight per cent of the Australian's shots person travel disconnected zero dribbles and helium has converted specified changeable attempts connected an businesslike 50 per cent clip.
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The Australian's play has besides caught the attraction of NBA analysts astir the league.
Former ESPN draught adept Chad Ford noted Giddey's on-court assurance aft his show against the Sixers.
"Giddey plays with specified a swagger for idiosyncratic truthful young and his tribunal imaginativeness is tremendous," Ford tweeted.
Giddey's exploits done the aboriginal portion of the play instrumentality you backmost to the past clip Australian NBA fans were this excited astir 1 of their ain rookies: Ben Simmons.
Like Giddey, Simmons burst retired of the blocks erstwhile helium made his long-awaited NBA debut backmost successful 2017-18 aft missing his archetypal play done injury.
Simmons burst retired of the gates with 3 consecutive double-doubles successful losses earlier posting a triple-double successful conscionable his 4th crippled to unafraid his archetypal ever win.
Simmons ended his rookie play with the coveted Rookie of the Year grant and was named to the NBA's All-Rookie First Team.
If Giddey continues this form, he'll person a red-hot changeable astatine emulating his planetary teammate.
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