What has enabled Josh Giddey to play his best basketball as the regular season winds down?
The rise of Josh Giddey has been the most notable development around the Oklahoma City Thunder throughout the last stretch of the NBA regular season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren have accounted for the majority of the Thunder’s 51-22 record. The team’s depth has also contributed significantly to its long-term success. Josh Giddey, who had a good sophomore season, has fallen behind the pack.
As mentioned, Giddey is seeing a breakthrough late in the season. Evidently, there couldn’t have been a more perfect time for the 6-foot-8 guard to start playing his best basketball. The postseason is right around the corner, and Giddey playing better makes the opposing defense’s life much more difficult
After Oklahoma City’s 128-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday — which saw Giddey post 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting — he detailed his early season struggles and the dangers of riding the highs and lows.
“It’s easy to feel good when things are going well, but I think if you get caught up in the highs and the lows, it sends your emotions on a roller coaster. I struggled with that early the first 50 or so games. I used to overthink everything. It’s hard to play that way, to play freely and confidently when that’s what’s happening,” Giddey explained after Friday night’s victory.
Giddey is attempting to carve out a more defined position for the Thunder, which has been challenging given Williams and Holmgren’s outstanding performances this season behind Gilgeous-Alexander. Teams were placing big-bodied centers on Giddey while ignoring him on the perimeter, obstructing the driving lanes.
That was not feasible for a club like the Thunder, who relies heavily on paint touches and rim shots, especially in the playoffs. Change was inevitable and necessary. Fortunately for himself, Giddey forced the transition, and his mentality shift has opened up new possibilities for him and the team.
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