Since selecting James Harden with a prospective pick in 2009, the Oklahoma City Thunder has not held a top ten pick for more than a decade. Therefore, although the Thunder’s draw in the 2021 draft is not satisfactory, the high pick that finally came to the hand after many years is still exciting. Especially when you already have a future star like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in your team, who will be the best person to form the core of the new era team with him? Thunder director Sam Presti gave his answer: That person, named Josh Giddey.
A genuinely talented teenager from Australia.
Since his birth, Giddey has surrounded a group of seniors in Australian basketball. His father, Warrick Giddey, is a former NBL professional player. He has more than 15 years of professional experience. As the champion of the Melbourne Tigers (now Melbourne United) for the second time, his No. 6 jersey is the only sixth of the team to be retired. One of the back number. In addition to his father, Andrew Gaze also provided a lot of help on Giddey’s basketball road. Gaze can be said to be Australia’s greatest basketball player in history. He is not only a member of the five Olympic Games and the flag officer of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, but also the second Australian player in history to go to the United States to challenge the NBA. The NBL MVP award It was even named after his name “Andrew Gaze Trophy” to commend him for winning the NBL MVP seven times.
But the person who affected Giddey most was Darryl McDonald. The 57-year-old former NBL star knew Giddey very early, and he praised his superb skills after watching Giddey many games, and decided to help train this young star with great potential in the follow-up. During the period of Melbourne’s lockdown due to the epidemic last year, an officer contacted McDonald and said: “Josh wants to train with you”, so the two began to work in Hoop City, the most advanced training site by the bay.
“I remember one day I watched him play,” McDonald said, “He walked out after the pick and roll and threw the ball like a dart in the corner with his left hand. I was thinking, “That’s incredible. I’ve never seen someone of his age able to do something like this”. Please note that he is right-handed. I heard that he is good, but because of that game, I thought, “Well, he is very special.” .”
“My impression of him is still a kid.” McDonald said, “When I first started training him, I walked in and saw him and said to myself, “Damn, this kid is a 6-foot-8. A point guard like this is not something you can meet casually. He obviously has the potential to play in the NBA. His games and everything he does are tailored for the NBA.”
“I like his calmness when he plays. You can’t urge him. He will play at his own pace. People will test him, but he never flinches. I like him.” McDonald said, “He can play his own. The game is very efficient. As long as the ball is handed over to him, I seem to see Luka Doncic, and I think Josh also has the ability: the kind of body that can observe defenses and launch attacks.”
With the support and guidance of these seniors who have pioneered the frontiers, coupled with the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, the Australian basketball community has gradually established a complete nurturing system, and Giddey is undoubtedly the largest under this system. Beneficiaries. The outstanding cultivation system has shaped Giddey’s top basketball IQ to a large extent, coupled with his 6-foot-8 height, and even personally confirmed 6-foot-9 height, which is why many NBA scouts treat him this way. Reason for interest.
“Giddey’s strength lies in his ability to assess the situation on the court. This is not only self-confidence, but also a kind of adaptability.” Global Academy’s technical director Marty Clarke said in an interview: He has reached another higher level. In this respect, he is comparable to Andrew Bogut (2005 NBA Australian No. 1 pick).”
Giddey’s days at Global Academy gave him many ways to think about the future. At that time, he faced a crossroads: Should he go to the United States to study at university or stay in his hometown to play basketball? Although many prestigious schools in the United States have extended an olive branch to Giddey, and he was almost certain to accept Colorado’s recruitment, but at this time NBL president Jeremy Loeliger proposed the “Next Stars” project to Giddey, which aims to Attract top basketball players who don’t want to play in the United States.
Coincidentally, former Thunder player Terrance Ferguson was one of the first pioneers to participate in this project, and LeMelo Ball and RJ Hampton, who were selected in the NBA Draft the previous year, were also members of “Next Stars”. These successful cases gave Giddey the motivation to stay in his hometown to play. In the end, he chose to sign a contract with Adelaide 36ers, becoming the next NBA draft pick to play/remain in Australia. And the facts proved that his choice was quite correct.
