Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey has emerged as one of the top rookie players this season but, as the saying goes, there is always room to improve on the court.
Giddey, who has twice been named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month, is averaging 11.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists and one steal in 33 games. He is shooting 39.6% from the field, including 26.4% from 3-point range.
The sixth pick has established himself as a player that can impact games in a variety of ways. However, he is still finding his way as a shooter as head coach Mark Daigneault on Saturday explained improvement from beyond the arc would greatly help Giddey and the team.
He needs to improve his shooting so that he is a guy that they pick up higher and they have to chase over screens and they can’t just plug off of and go under or, when he is off the ball, they are playing him more honestly in helping in their closeouts. That is really the key more so than just individual percentages.
Giddey entered the draft known as a player capable of filling up the stat sheet but needed some work to become a consistent shooter. He has shown some promise in that area this season but will likely need to become a mid-30s shooter to keep defenses honest.
Because Giddey does so much on the court, the Thunder don’t need him to become a lights-out shooter. Instead, improving marginally on a consistent basis will help create additional space on the court and get others more scoring opportunities.
The Thunder have certainly liked what Giddey has given them in just his first season. He has shown plenty of promise and will continue to do so the more he improves and develops his game moving forward.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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