The Oklahoma City Thunder once again went against traditional thought with the No. 6 pick in the NBA draft. After months of speculation on whether they would take Jonathan Kuminga, Scottie Barnes or James Bouknight, they went in a different direction: smooth-passing Australian guard Josh Giddey.
With Giddey on board, the Thunder boost their playmaking versatility and positionless basketball that head coach Mark Daigneault so desires from his squad.
Like Aleksej Pokusevski last year, Giddey is 18 years old but has professional experience. In the NBL, he recorded three triple-doubles and averaged 10.9 points, 7.5 assists and 7.4 rebounds per game as he was named the NBL Rookie of the Year.
Giddey is 6-foot-8, which adds an element to his game that is difficult to find among guards. He and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander form a tall and long duo on the perimeter, and they will look to initiate the offense together in a way Oklahoma City struggled to last season.
In taking Giddey, the Thunder passed on Kuminga and Bouknight, among other players. Kuminga is considered very raw but had been projected to go as high as fifth. Bouknight looks like a player who could develop into an elite scorer.
Instead of going with one of those guys, the Thunder went in a direction that they have done so often: a playmaking, oversized player with professional experience.
Barring any trades, they also hold picks No. 16, 18, 34, 36 and 55 on Thursday night.