Josh Giddey's NBA debut is in the books.
The Australian No. 6 overall pick impressed in what was a tough night for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The youngest team in the league, OKC were stifled by the Utah 107-86, as the Jazz rolled to a comfortable win in the home opener.
Giddey saw 29 minutes of action in his first NBA appearance, finishing with four points, 10 rebounds and three assists. The double-digit rebounds was a Thunder record for a player in their debut.
While the numbers weren't gaudy, the comfort level we have seen in the preseason translated to the regular season, particularly with his ability to facilitate in the pick-and-roll as a ball handler.
Rookie pick-and-roll 🤝@joshgiddey ➡️ @JCREarl pic.twitter.com/c1KT7SOk2I
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) October 21, 2021
Whether it be dishing or looking to score, Giddey looked comfortable with the ball in hand.
The 19-year-olds first points came on a righty runner off the glass, with the guard showing soft touch despite the proximity of 3-time Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert.
Bucket #⃣1⃣@joshgiddey | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/5m1fmxaF3L
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) October 21, 2021
A fun storyline throughout the night was the occassional head-to-head matchup with Joe Ingles, with the veteran Aussie guarding the rookie on multiple occassions. Giddey's second bucket came after he used a dribble hand off to find space and drive into the paint before dropping in a floater over Ingles.
Gid-range ⚡️@joshgiddey | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/PoxQCfiUd2
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) October 21, 2021
Thunder guard Kenrich Williams praised Giddey's basketball IQ postgame.
“His IQ for the game, at his age, is very rare to find," said Williams. "A guy who can do a little bit of everything who is still 19. He has a good feel for the game. He really competes.”
The result wasn't what Giddey would have been after, but it might become a regularity with the Thunder's young rotation.
For Ingles and the Jazz on the other hand, it was business as usual, with the ultra consistent Australian contributing off the bench as has come to be expected.
Beginning his eighth year with the franchise, Ingles tallied 14 points, three rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes, finishing 4-for-7 from long range.
On ya, Joe ☕️ https://t.co/nqTV4H4Lmo pic.twitter.com/1dbGE4WE4r
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) October 21, 2021
Finishing with the league's best record in 2020-21, Utah's tipped off this regular season in the perfect fashion.
Both squads hit the road next, with OKC visiting Houston (Saturday, 11:00 a.m. AEDT) and Utah heading to Sacramento (Saturday 1:00 p.m. AEDT).
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