Josh Giddey, the pass in the blood | NBA

On a black streak of six straight losses, the Thunder missed a great opportunity to get up on Monday night against another league dunce, the Rockets. In the defeat, Josh Giddey was in difficulty in the image of his club, at 1/9 on shots including 0/5 at 3-points. But, even next to his shooting pumps, the Australian rookie from Oklahoma City still weighed on the game with 5 rebounds, 2 blocks and especially 7 assists.

Already in the Top 25 of the best assists in the League, and best passer among the rookies at 5.7 offerings per game, Josh Giddey has obviously not yet reached his offensive maturity, but his quality of game creator bursts the screen on this. start of the season. His teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is not mistaken.

« He sees everything », SGA thus states in The Oklahoman. “And all of his passes hit their targets.  »

With nearly 6 assists per game, and less than 3 stray balls per game (better than Cade Cunningham and Jalen Suggs, his rookie comrades at 3.4), Josh Giddey is already achieving feats, even as his team is pointing at the front- last place to success on shots and 3-pointers! A hell of a challenge.

Better to have your hands ready!

With the right hand or the left hand, on the ground or in the air, in motion or on placed play, Josh Giddey has already demonstrated a sacred vision of the game. From the height of his 2m03, the leader of the Thunder dominates his direct opponents and he does not need to pray as soon as he sees the slightest gap or a teammate standing out on the other side of the field.

« A lot of times he’s on the right side of the field and he swings a pass with his left hand to the opposite corner »smiles the other rookie, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. “The guy does it like nothing has happened. While it’s a super difficult pass to do. « 

With Josh Giddey in charge, his teammates learn that it’s best to be prepared for anything. All passes are possible and you must therefore have your hands ready to recover the leather. Otherwise, it is the blooper assured.

« I can be in the opposite corner and he can throw a pass that goes straight to my hands for the shoot », advance meanwhile Ty Jerome. “You definitely have to be ready to receive the pass at any time with him. « 

For his part, Mark Daigneault identified three specificities to explain this immediate success of Josh Giddey in the pass. The first data is obvious, it is his size: the Australian is as tall as Darius Bazley, the strong winger of the Thunder!

“It’s clearly a factor. He is not 1m78. And then, he has the ability to deliver the pass with the right touch and speed. He can make those passes. And finally, there’s the feeling and the IQ, which you can’t really teach. « 

Halfway between a pitcher and a quarterback

Compared to some baseball players for his precision as well as his « speed », Josh Giddey is a passer apart both for his precocity and for his propensity to pass the ball with both hands. Truth be told, and despite being right handed, the Melbourne native has a weakness for sending left handed passes.

« When I was playing as a youth, we always started the attack on the left side of the field, so that’s why I dribble most of the time with my left hand, and that I do most of my passes with the left hand. . When I throw those kind of quick passes, the defense doesn’t expect it. Sometimes even our guys don’t expect it either because it’s a risky pass. Guys learn to have their hands ready because I send a little risky passes sometimes. « 

On this last point, Mark Daigneault dares another comparison, no longer with baseball but with American football. According to the Thunder head coach, you not only have to have the technical skills to make difficult passes, but you also have to be bold enough to try them.

“I haven’t had anything to say to him on any stray bullet yet this season. Because he has the guts to play and to try to create a game. I think he has a certain courage that a lot of very, very good players have. [Comme Brett Favre, l’ancien quarterback des Packers], he has the guts to attempt risky passes. And it’s sort of intangible. But he is ready to attempt the pass, and he is ready to take the shots as we have seen. «