2021 NBA Draft Profile: Josh Giddey
A tall, extremely talented passer, is Josh Giddey the next mold-breaking NBA unicorn, or a non-shooting player who’s not a good enough ball handler or shooter to take advantage of his gifts?
Position: Point guard, Adelaide 36ers
Age: 18 (10/10/2002)
Height: 6 ft 8 in
Wingspan: 6 ft 7 in
Weight: 205 lbs.
Strickland 2021 Big Board Rank: 7
The Sales Pitch: Born from the ilk of players such as Magic Johnson and LeBron James, the jumbo initiator archetype has become increasingly popular in team building. Players with the skills of a guard but the size of a wing present incredible flexibility in lineup construction, with them in most cases being able to play anywhere from 1 to 4. The recent success of this archetype is encouraging too, with Ben Simmons, Luka Doncic, and LaMelo Ball each establishing themselves as all-world talents. Giddey may be one of the rawest prospects to fit this archetype, but if developed correctly, could provide the Knicks with a key piece towards their future.
Elite Traits/Skills: Size, passing, vision, rebounding
The Devil’s Advocate argument: What is Giddey if he doesn’t drastically improve his shooting? Taller Ricky Rubio with worse defense? What value does a non-shooting connector — who can somewhat pressure the rim but doesn’t draw fouls or shoot free throws at a good rate — have in the NBA? Shooting is integral for Giddey’s success in the NBA and he is horrendous at it.
Important numbers:
69.1%: The percentage Giddey shot from the line
29.3%: What Giddey shot from three
7.4: How many rebounds Giddey snagged per game
2.25: Giddey’s AST:TO ratio
Knicks Fit: TBD. The shot is easily Giddey’s biggest swing skill (I’d even wager it’s one of the biggest swing skills of anyone in the draft). If it becomes serviceable, you have a solid connector in the vein of Nicolas Batum. If it becomes elite and translates off the dribble, you may have a legitimate primary ball handler. If it continues to suck, you have… whiteskin Elfrid Payton with a Bieber cut? Giddey is the definition of a boom-or-bust pick.
