Josh Geddy’s scoring surge caused a stir in the American media.
The Australian continued his fine form with a 20-point performance in the OKC Thunder’s win over the Washington Wizards on Saturday (all times EST), marking his fifth game of his last seven scoring 20 or more points.
Prior to this current run, he only had three games this season with more than 20 points.
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It’s been bolstered by Giddey’s improved stroke from centerfield — he now shoots 34.9 percent on the season — including 45.8 percent (1.5 out of 3.4) from his last seven contests.
34.9 percent higher than Jason Tatum, LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Pascal Siakam, Kristaps Porzingis, Jalen Green, Terry Rozier, Jordan Paul, Fred VanVleet and OG Anunobi this season.
His three-point shooting was a huge focus to move into his sophomore campaign after going 26.3 percent from outside the arc as a junior and working closely with famed NBA shooting coach Chip England during the off-season.
The Thunder Writer also won Clemente Almanza highlightedJedi shoots 45.1 percent from three attempts on 3.4 attempts in 15 games since the following quote on December 1.
“Good things don’t happen overnight. These things take time and usually when you change something you’ve done for years and years, there will be some steps back before there are steps forward,” Geddy told the media at the time.
“So I trust Chip. He’s the best in the business at what he does. The confidence is unwavering, you know — being selective, taking the right shots — but whether they’re in this year or next year or whatever, just trust what he’s got because he’s been doing it for a while.” Long. His numbers speak for him.”
Speaking after the victory over Washington, Geddy said it was “nice to see improvements” in his three-point shooting, but that he was “still a long way from where I want to be.”
It’s important to note that even if Geddy hasn’t officially landed as a three-point shooter yet, he’s making progress and has improved significantly from his rookie season.
Extrapolate this trend to the rest of the 20-year-old’s career – which totaled no more than 88 contests – and he has frightening potential in calculating how good the rest of his game will be.
His recent over-efficiency of 45.1 percent at three-point shooting will also likely lead to some drawbacks as well, but looking at the bigger picture, Jedi’s ability to continue to hone his craft will be crucial to his long-term prospects.
Nick Crain of Forbes has researched where Giddey has found ways to improve his outside shooting.
Only 20.3 percent of his points come from depth, one of the lowest on the team, and his 3-point pace is just 22.1 percent this season. That’s down from 31.8 percent last season, which means he let the shots get to him,” Crane wrote. forbes.com earlier this week.
To appreciate this more, 93.9 percent of his three-pointers that he’s made have been assisted this season, so he’s really picking his spots and taking shots with a rhythm rather than forcing a look.
Giddey shoots 40 percent depth on point and shoot looks unprotected, which leads to optimism about the mechanics in general. Even when he’s closely guarded, he converts 36.7 percent of his point and shoot attempts. Simply put, Giddey takes good shots 3-point and allows others to set him up for success. He shoots 38.8 percent in the three-point moments he doesn’t take a dribble.”
However, Crane noted that Giddey still has room to grow as a self-propelled shooter on the perimeter — he’s currently shooting 23.5 percent on triples from rebound and 22.2 percent from depth as a handler on the ball.
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Regardless, Jedi generates 1,098 points per possession on his 3-point attempts and has improved a lot this season compared to last season. While he likely won’t continue the efficiency we’ve seen since the beginning of December, it’s promising for his long-term outlook, Crane added. .
“If Jedi can maintain the 34 percent mark he is currently at from depths throughout the rest of the season, the upside as an offensive prospect will be off the charts.”
Giddey has also improved as a free throw shooter in a sign of the long-term upside with his outside strokes, up 90.9 percent since the start of December.
Again, this number is likely to decline, but it is all about promising flashes and signs for the future.
Shooting aside, the Jedi does a better job of being aggressive and attacking the edge – thus getting better shots.
After all, he’s a 6-foot-8 guard, so it makes sense for him to focus more on getting into the paint.
“He does a much better job of using his body to get all the way down the ramps, attacking the defense and attacking the goal as a defense and helping himself finish on the edge,” noted Rylan Styles of Locked On Thunder.
Basketball News Nikkeas Duncan details Giddey’s drives per game are actually down (11.3) compared to his rookie season (11.9). But he attacks the edge with more purpose, attempting 5.6 drives this season compared to 4.6 last campaign.
Moreover, he missed 49.7 percent of his trips last season, which drops to 38.5 percent in this campaign.
First, the handle is a bit narrower—though you still wouldn’t confuse it with an And-1 legend. The early nail assist doesn’t frustrate it as easily as it did last season, which allowed some of those early drills or streaks to turn into deeper drives. “.
Moreover, the added strength – and the way he channels that power – led to more productive attacks. Although Giddey is a tall ball player, he always tries to get low ground from a defender. If he’s able to get a hint of leverage, he often uses his shoulder to create space inside… The Jedi is trying to win the lead.”
Jedi even talked about this shift in his game after winning against the Wizards.
“I struggled a bit early on adjusting to the way teams adjust (with me guarding)”, he admitted.
“Just focusing on getting downhill and to the front of the rim and using my girth a little bit more.
“I used to shoot a lot of floats, but now I’m trying to get all the way to the edge… I’m trying to do the right read, be physical and get into (opponents’) bodies. I’m trying to make mistakes, it’s something I have to get better at.”
“Just trying to make the right reading — whether it’s going downhill, shooting right or making the right pass — does what the team needs to do.”
This means that Giddey’s pass numbers have dropped from 6.4 per game as a starter to 5.4 this season, but he has become a more efficient overall player to improve the team’s offense.
In addition to 5.4 assists, Giddey now averages 15.4 points per game (shooting 47 percent from the field and 78 percent from the line), 1.1 triples and 7.9 rebounds on the season in 30.8 minutes — down from 31.5 minutes in Last season .
Gedi’s teammates and coach Marc Dignault have also paid tribute to him, including Jalen Williams noting that the Australian looks more comfortable on the court.
“He shoots really well from the 3 too – not to let him down. He seems more comfortable on our courses and I think we finally get to where everyone is going to be,” said Williams, in the Almanza report.
Daigneault said Giddey was “lightening up his game” and “has a nice mix with him now.”
Meanwhile, star Shay Gilgos-Alexander said it was “fun to play with Josh” for his ability to find teammates who are always open-minded and make the right play.
Despite all the promising signs, The Athletic’s John Hollinger wants to see more of the Jedi.
While acknowledging his improved shooting numbers and elite rebounding and passing, Hollinger noted that the youngster still struggles to pull off fouls (averaging 1.5 free throw attempts per game) — as Geddy himself spoke — and has a ways to go on the defensive end.
“A Jedi is still limited by the fact that he doesn’t make mistakes and no one is afraid of his shot – at least not yet – and he still doesn’t offer much to defend himself. A Jedi also needs to be in control of the ball to be effective, which isn’t always great when he’s pushing. Gilgos Alexander tea away from the ball,” Hollinger wrote in theathletic.com.
“He’s a really good player, and he’s 20, so let’s not get too pessimistic. But as with the rest of this class, there has been no breakthrough for a capital B.”
There’s clearly room in Giddey’s game for growth and items to level, but the former Pick 6 remains one of the most promising players in the league.
Perhaps most importantly, you constantly hear real drive and motivation when he talks about his endeavors to constantly improve and become a true superstar.
Development is key here, and people in the United States are noticing this progress.