NBA Future Watch: Josh Giddey Basketball Cards, OKC Thunder – Josh Giddey is following a path previously blazed by the likes of Luc Longley and Andrew Bogut and more recently by such luminaries as Kyrie Irving, Joe Ingles, Patty Mills, Ben Simmons and Matisse Thybulle – coming to the NBA from Australia. While Giddey’s near-term projections are not quite yet at the supersonic level of Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham, he brings the same jumbo-sized point guard skills to the big time with the potential to ascend to household-name status.
The Australian basketball infrastructure has matured to the point of being able to identify legitimate prospects such as Giddey at an early age. Though, he’d have been on the radar quickly anyway as the son of two pro basketball players Down Under. Giddey’s 20 PPG, 8.3 RPG and 6 APG were instrumental in his VIC Metro team capturing the Australian Under-18 Championships. Giddey repeated the championship feat with the NBA Global Academy at the 2020 Torneo Junior Ciutat de L’Hospitalet, where he was designated event MVP. All-Star honors at the Basketball Without Borders camp cemented Giddey’s status as a top prospect. It served as a preview of his tenure with the Adelaide 36ers of the National Basketball League in Australia as part of the Next Stars program.
Giddey’s all-around game was on sharp display throughout the 2020-21 season, becoming the youngest native Australian to notch a triple double and the first to achieve triple-doubles in consecutive games – whereupon he added a third consecutive game to that record. As NBL Rookie of the Year, Giddey’s star had risen to the point of becoming the sixth pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, settling in Oklahoma City.
NBA Future Watch: Josh Giddey Basketball Cards, OKC Thunder
On a young roster with few other prospects quite at his level, Giddey will be able to hit the ground running in his NBA education relatively early. Adding bulk without sacrificing athleticism and achieving greater shooting consistency top Giddey’s “To-Do” list for Year One. With the Thunder amassing unprecedented draft capital in the next several years, Giddey has a chance to become the anchor of the league’s most talented young team in the not-too-distant-future.
Look to collect Josh Giddey cards from 2021 Skybox Metal Universe Champions, as well as from Panini’s 2021 Draft Night Instant Product.
NBA Future Watch: Josh Giddey Basketball Cards, OKC Thunder – More Resources
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