Thunder fans give crazy take on former player

Brody Bitters

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Thunder fans give crazy take on former player image

Earlier this summer, on June 21 to be exact, the Oklahoma City Thunder traded away Josh Giddey in exchange for Bulls guard Alex Caruso. While many Thunder fans saw this as a win, others couldn't help but think about Giddey's potential.

Josh Giddey was drafted sixth overall in the 2021 NBA Draft from the Australian NBL team, the Adelaide 36ers. His superb playmaking and passing as a 6'8" point guard made him an extremely appealing prospect, and the Thunder decided to capitalize on the opportunity.

 

 

In his first season in the NBA, Giddey averaged 12 points, six assists, and eight rebounds while also becoming the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double (19 years 84 days).

Such a record made people believe in the future of Giddey. Unfortunately, however, the offense did not progress. Over the course of two more seasons, Giddey would shoot just over 45 percent from the field and 31 percent from three (less than 20 percent from three in the Dallas series).

While it is arguable that his playmaking could make up for his lack of offense, for people to say his ceiling is higher than the majority of the Thunder roster is crazy.

Cason Wallace, for example, is entering next season as an All-Rookie Second Team member who shot 43 percent from three and is an elite defender. Not only is the Kentucky guard more versatile, but he is younger than Giddey and has arguably a much higher ceiling.

Moreover, while Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe are older players, their impact (especially during the playoffs) was drastically higher than Giddey's.

Giddey is a phenomenal player with a ton of upside, and will be a great addition for Chicago. But to say he has more potential than the other players mentioned is a bold statement, especially with how OKC develops their players.

 

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Brody Bitters

Brody Bitters Photo

Brody Bitters is a graduate from Butler University, where he studied Sports Media and Strategic Communications for four years. Brody previously worked as a sports reporter in Zanesville, Ohio, where he covered all things athletics from high school football, baseball, and track & field to the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Brody played basketball, football, and soccer and is a diehard Buckeye. Moreover, Brody is a massive fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Broncos, which appear random on paper, but have very specific and unique backstories.