3 reasons to be excited about the Oklahoma City Thunder for the 2022-23 season
By Ian Levy
2. Uh, oh, Giddey learned how to shoot…
The lack of an outside jumper is the biggest and most dramatic weakness in Josh Giddey’s game at this point. He made just 24.5 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3-pointers last season and posted an effective field goal percentage of 38.9 percent on all pull-up jumpers, inside and outside the arc. That weakness significantly reduced his impact as an off-ball threat and made him much simpler to defend with the ball in his hands (and making his ability to create shots for others even more impressive).
But across five preseason games, Giddey has made 8-of-15 from beyond the arc and 4-of-5 mid-range jumpers. Among those made jumpers you’ll find several smooth pull-ups that punished a defender for going under the screen or sagging to prevent a drive.
It’s an admittedly small sample and his form can be inconsistent from shot to shot. But if he can be even mildly threatening off the ball and punish the defense for giving him space in the middle of the floor it just makes him even more dangerous as a passer and creator.