Josh Giddey’s First Round Shooting Improvement Proving Huge for Thunder

Plenty was made about Josh Giddey’s fit in Oklahoma City’s starting lineup and how his specific game complements the team’s core. At times, it was rough — but that was to be expected. Adding Chet Holmgren to the lineup and Jalen Williams’ ascension as an offensive player forced players like Giddey to adapt to a new role. After the All-Star break, Giddey’s numbers improved tremendously, and that trend seems to be continuing in the postseason.

His outside shot has been a common discussion point over his time in Oklahoma City, and while he has improved heavily, he’s still not a knockdown shooter. He might never turn into that. But if he can hit open triples and make the defense respect his outside shot, the floor opens up in a big way. And that’s exactly what he did in the first round against the Pelicans.

Oklahoma City cruised to a sweep, receiving a much-needed break before a tough second-round matchup on the horizon. Giddey played a big part in helping the Thunder win.

Overall, he averaged 26 minutes per game, adding 12.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per contest. Giddey was red-hot from long range, shooting 50% from behind the 3-point line. It wasn’t low volume either, as the Australian guard attempted 4.5 triples per game. His numbers are even more impressive considering his first game he scored just two points on 1-of-6 shooting. He adjusted to the defense and found out how to be an impactful shooter.

Throughout the four-game series, Giddey shot 9-of-18 from 3-point range and drilled outside shots in three of the four contests. Over the last two games, his impact was felt the most as he hit eight triples in 13 tries. Back-to-back games with four 3-point makes is huge for a low-volume outside shooter, and his confidence level was sky-high.

His shot has been trending upwards, too — this didn’t appear out of nowhere. Since the All-Star break, he shot 36% from long range on 3.2 attempts. Even though his 3-point percentage for the entire year leaves much to be desired at 33.7%, it would still qualify as a career-best. And it continues to improve.

If Giddey can continue his hot shooting stretch, Oklahoma City has very few holes. Giddey will put plenty of pressure on opposing defenders if posts can’t gap him at the 3-point line. If anything, his first-round series against the Pelicans was a very positive sign.