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2021 NBA draft profile: International prospect Josh Giddey

By Lachlan Everett

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 23: Josh Giddey of the 36ers runs with the ball during the NBL Cup match between the Adelaide 36ers and the South East Melbourne Phoenix at John Cain Arena on February 23, 2021, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 23: Josh Giddey of the 36ers runs with the ball during the NBL Cup match between the Adelaide 36ers and the South East Melbourne Phoenix at John Cain Arena on February 23, 2021, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images) /
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NBA draft, Josh Giddey Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images
NBA draft, Josh Giddey Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images /

NBA draft prospect Josh Giddey’s weakness: Shooting

Giddey averaged 10.9 points per game for the season and shot 29 percent from three on 3.5 attempts per game for the season. On paper, he’s a limited offensive threat, but throughout the season Giddey improved on everything game by game.

Starting with the shooting, his confidence was the biggest issue throughout the season. The stats don’t suggest it, but there was a demonstrable improvement in confidence and shot formation in the second half of the season — going from exclusively as a catch and shoot threat to an off-the-dribble shooter.

Adelaide 36ers coach and former NBA player Conner Henry told Hoopshabit that the turning point for Giddey was in his ninth game, where he made three of four 3-point shots.

"“I remember saying to him before that game hey dude, one of these days you’re going to go out and bang a couple. And sure enough and we created an environment for him to believe in himself more. And from then on if teams are going to go underneath him on the pick and roll he was going to shoot it.”"

Giddey’s confidence boost can be attributed to growing more comfortable, as well as his shooting coach and mentor Andrew Gaze — the greatest male Australian basketball player ever, who happened to coach Giddey as a junior.

The percentages are still below average, no matter if you sample the last 10 or 15 games or the middle chunk of the season. And that has been one of Giddey’s major improvement areas this offseason. His upright stance affects both his ability to use his handle to create space and limits his lift to make the distance on threes.

And due to his unspectacular percentages, Giddey is often dropped on pick and roll coverage. But he has shown promise in the mid-range area, his mid-range game is solid, but Giddey in today’s NBA shouldn’t have to depend on it — considering Giddey has to still work on his 3-point shot, but it might be a late-stage career development.

As we’ve seen with many NBA players, such as Lonzo Ball, that you can become a respectable or even lethal 3-point threat with the right coaching and mindset. Do I think Giddey becomes a 40 percent 3-point shooter? no, but he could easily be a 36 percent threat on 3-5 attempts per game.

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