Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Josh Giddey on Wednesday expressed his gratitude to be named the NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month for October and November.
Giddey averaged 10.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists and one steal in 20 games over the first two months of the season to win the award. He was second in the conference in scoring while he led all rookies in assists and was third in rebounding.
He also became just the third teenager (19 years, 45 days) in NBA history to record 100 rebounds and 100 assists within his first 20 games of a season, joining LeBron James and LaMelo Ball. Giddey called it an honor to join those two players in the record books.
Giddey reflected on what it meant to take him Rookie of the Month.
It was cool. The individual awards are good but it has always been about the team for me. I was happy to get the applause from people but once it’s over, it’s over and you can just get back to focusing on the team.
The sixth pick has emerged as one of the leaders with the Thunder. While he can play on and off the ball, Giddey has dazzled to this point of the season with some of his pinpoint passes on the court, with either his dominant hand or off-hand.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault spoke at length about his passing.
I think he has a pretty infectious style of play because of his passing and IQ out there on the court. He takes a lot of pride in moving the ball, sharing the ball, getting his teammates involved. The thing I’ve said about him before that I think really stands out is he can make every pass on the court. He’ll make one pass a game that kinda catches you off guard and is a pretty ‘loud’ play in terms of showing his ceiling as a passer.
Giddey entered the season highly touted given his ability to rebound and pass as a lead guard. He has often been compared to Ben Simmons at this stage of his career given his ability to score and get his teammates involved and it is easy to see the comparison.
With Giddey often running the show, the Thunder have emerged as a fun team to watch as there is seemingly the possibility of a highlight-worthy play happening on every possession. It may not be the last Rookie of the Month award Giddey wins, either.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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