Opinion
It took Josh Giddey exactly 46 seconds to score his first NBA bucket, with a running layup, squeezing easily by a non-existent defence.
By the first Thunder time out he had four points — one of which was a classy floater — and two rebounds.
Throughout the 113-97 loss to the Hornets — Oklahoma’s first official NBA pre-season hit out — the no.6 draft pick looked measured, poised and composed.
The 203-cm point-guard dazzled and wowed with his right and left dribble passing and off-hand whips to the corner. He cracked in for the tough boards and looked like a third-year player who knew the drill.
He finished the game with 18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists in 29 minutes.
He was also deadly: shooting 8-for-12 from the field and 2-for-4 from outside the arc.
Gid into it yuh ????@joshgiddey | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/kx6xqqRHTn
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) October 5, 2021
“It wasn’t too hard of an adjustment but there are still ways to go,” Giddey, who turns 19 on Sunday, told media post-game.
“Nothing surprised me, I just didn’t realize how big guys are and deceivingly strong and athletic and physical. The stats are nice and everything, but a win would’ve been nicer.”
If you read the Oklahoman sports page today, you would have seen Giddey’s youthful face in game mode splashed across the screen.
“Giddey’s combination of skill and size flashed in the short sequence. He had the look of a power forward and the eyes of a point guard,” wrote Joe Mussatto.
After tweaking his ankle in Summer League in the first five minutes, he was able to showcase how he measures up inside the action and had increased opportunities to handle the ball as the game transpired. The confidence in himself, his shot, his body, was a good sign.
After what Thunder fans saw, It’s given them another reason to get excited about a fresh year. And what they saw was a kid who can create and provide an electric hustle around the rim. But the sample size was small and Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault was quick to douse the Giddey buzz, saying it’s early days.
“As we know, there’s a lot of ups and downs. He looked like that in practice but you never know until the game starts. He looked comfortable out there,” he told media. “It’s game zero. We have four game zeros before we even start.”
The Thunder will play three more pre-season matches against the reigning NBA Champions the Bucks (Oct.10) and back-to-back matches against the Nuggets (Oct.13 |Oct.14), before opening the regular season on Oct. 20 against Joe Ingles’ Utah Jazz.
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In Toronto, Matisse Thybulle, had a quiet night with 5 points, 3 rebounds and 2 steals, shooting at 20 percent from the field, 0-for-3 outside the arc in 21-minutes. Defensively, the 24-year-old looked sharp in patches, but he couldn’t find his shot in the 123-107 loss to the Raptors.
The 76ers were missing their star duo in Joel Embiid (resting) and Ben Simmons who is yet to check in to pre-season camp. There’s still nothing definitive around where Simmons will play this year and recent reports suggest he’s willing to hold out all season long if he can’t find a suitable ball club that will be conducive to his playing style.
Thybulle is still a work-in-progress on the offensive end but, as he showed during the Boomers’ bronze medal run in Tokyo, where he averaged 7.8 points per game in his six Olympic appearances, shooting 62.3% from the field.
Defensively, those close to the 76ers organization say Thybulle is headed for a big role this year especially if Simmons does not suit up for Philadelphia. Jackson Frank, a beat writer for the Liberty Ballers that covers the 76ers, writes:
“Without Simmons, someone else will have to assume those star-laden matchups nightly. Thybulle is most qualified for that job. Yet given his offensive limitations, it’s a complicated endeavour to play him 32 minutes like they did Simmons — who wields his own well-documented offensive shortcomings.”
The third-year wing is set for a big year. Philadelphia’s head coach Doc Rivers told reporters that Thybulle came to pre-season with a whole new mindset, spent time with Tobias Harris working on his game and is more confident in himself and his role.
Rivers wants Thybulle’s jumper to stick but said he’s hoping for more scoring through transition and straight-line drives — two areas Thybulle thrives in.
“I asked him, ‘You get one breakaway every 30 games, like, how is that possible with your speed? You should get two a game,’ ” Rivers told media. “I really believe, we get a rebound, he should be releasing with his speed, and he can catch and finish. He’s starting to see that and do that.”
The 76ers take on the Raptors again (Oct.7), then the Nets (Oct.11) and the Pistons (Oct.15). Their season opener is against New Orleans on Oct.20.
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Patty Mills is yet to play a pre-season game with Brooklyn yet.
Steve Nash opted to rest him — and a host of stars including Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Blake Griffin — during their 26 point win over the Lakers (Oct.3).
His arrival to the Nets has many with the organization excited about what his veteran presence can bring on the court, but also, how he can shape the lockerroom culture.
Nets head coach Steve Nash told media:
“I think he’s an incredible lift to our culture. Just being the type of character he is, the personality he has and his ability to shoot and play with pace helps us immensely as well.”
The experienced guard, who the #PattyforPM was created for, comes into this star-studded Nets roster as someone who is more than just capable ball-handler. He’s coming off of a solid year where he shot 37.5 percent from outside the arc with a career-high 161 3-pointers. He also shot 41.2 percent from the field.
Sixth-man or not, Mills will get minutes and be asked to step up in when the game is on the line. Bill Simmons, the founder and CEO of the Ringer said on his podcast that Mills was his single favourite free agent signing and is someone who plays bigger in bigger games.
Matthew Brooks from Nets Daily wrote:
“Mills could best be described as a heady pick-and-roll ball-handler, not particularly prone to making mistakes (9.3 percent turnover percentage) and knowledgeable about how to weaponize the threat of his jumper.”
For 32-year-old Mills, the two-year, $12 million Nets deal has capped off an incredible 12 months: being the first Indigenous Australian to bear the flag at the Olympics, leading the Australian Boomers team to their first ever medal at the Olympics, and now about to kick off what could be a very deep NBA playoffs campaign with Brooklyn.
“Being on the Australian team is who I am and the confidence that I play with and the freedom that I play with is something that’s very empowering, so to be able to bring that here and find my way with that type of swagger is going to be important,” Mills told media.
Here’s a round up of the other Australians in the NBA:
— Utah Jazz versatile forward Joe Ingles did not play in Monday night’s 111-85 loss to the Spurs. Sven Karabegovic from the SLC Dunk confirmed that the 33-year-old Ingles will continue his steady role this year in Utah, bringing that floor general vibe, along with efficiency, playmaking, solid defence, and long-range shooting. “He’ll probably spend more time as a spot-up shooter,” and the Jazz will most likely “use him as a ball-handler situationally, depending on matchups, game flow,” he wrote.
— Dante Exum is still a bit of mystery in NBA circles. Even after 210 games in seven years, injuries has stifled his opportunities. He’s still only 26. His role is still up in the air which makes these next pre-season hit-outs critical against the Wizards tonight (Oct.5), Heat (Oct.7), Raptors (Oct.11), Spurs (Oct.15). Rockets head coach Stephen Silas told media, “I did not get a chance to see Dante at all last year because he was hurt. He was just during individual drills last year, and this is my first time getting a chance to see him in a team setting. I’m glad to have him back.” Exum showcased he can be a reliable three-point shooter but needs to stay healthy.
— DallasBasketball.com staff spoke about Josh Green’s outlook for this year. Matt Galatzan said, “He (Green) showed flashes of something solid last season, and even if he never reached the potential we thought he might have, he still has every chance to be a solid ‘three and D’ role player.” The Mavericks still have four pre-season games left to play: Utah (Oct.6), Clippers (Oct.8), Hornets (Oct.13) and the reigning NBA Champions the Bucks (Oct.15).
— Boomers strongman Jock Landale had eight points, six rebounds and three assists in 15 minutes during the Spurs 111-85 win over the Jazz on Monday (Oct.4). The inside-outside big thrived in the post, stretched the floor and shot from long range. This — along with his versatility, underrated defence, and lateral speed — is what the Spurs will be expecting from him this year.
Zach Colwell, beat writer from Pounding the Rock, wrote:
“Perhaps the best part about him is his supreme confidence. Like a lot of Australians, he is not afraid of expressing himself, even if it could come across as arrogant at times. Landale truly believes he belongs in the NBA, and there is no doubt he will play like that when he gets his chance in these next two seasons.”
The Spurs play again Oct.6 (Pistons), Oct.8 (Heat), Oct.10 (Magic) and Oct.15 (Rockets).
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