TBU Podcast | Reaching the 50-Win Mark + 1-on-1 with Josh Giddey | OKC Thunder

TBU Podcast | Reaching the 50-Win Mark + 1-on-1 with Josh Giddey | OKC Thunder

Hello and welcome to the Thunder basketball Universe we’re here inside paycom Center and it is Thursday March 28th we’re coming off that road home back to back a really tough one for the Thunder but a good one on the front end that big time victory over the New

Orleans Pelicans on the road and then an overtime loss to the Houston Rockets at home I’ve got our great friend Michael cage here alongside me the analyst for our B Sports Oklahoma TV broadcast Michael always great to have you thanks for coming in my pleasure my pleasure

Well well Michael the Thunder uh had this amazing win on on uh Tuesday night down in New Orleans um was a back and forth battle with a Pelicans team that had just been playing uh very very well lately OKC gets down late and then zooms

Out to this 120 run to end the game uh what did what stood out to you about the Finish to that game and kind of the the resilience that this team had to show down the stretch of that game probably the biggest thing I would say is uh how

They just all locked arms it takes more than just one guy to make something happen like that on the road end of a long East Coast Road Trip uh you know trying to to to realizing what was at stake that night I know we’re gonna talk

About that a little bit later so I won’t even mention I’ll say that surprise getting everybody to just like Focus for a stretch in the game being one of the youngest teams in the NBA I was impressed that they locked arms held together got stops on the road and that

Was a hostile crowd I don’t know if you remember yeah they were booing the refs they were booing us you know they even booing me I said look I’m not playing I’m done I’ve been already put in my 15 years I’ve heard enough boo so leave me

Alone they could they were booing me so you know when you see a young team like that really kind of hold on to the rope and just not let go and say look you know what we were up 20 and and all of a sudden we’re down five with 247 to go in

The fourth quarter late and the crowd is all excited Zion is being Zion yeah and all of a sudden the gong goes off I I was really impressed with a number of things that happened there was a little bit of extra juice in that building and you have to remember the Thunder went

Down to New Orleans and beat them last year in the first playin game and you could feel that maybe there was a little bit still was so hostile I felt like maybe there was a little something still there and obviously you know some really intense battles that these two teams

Have had so far this year as well uh including the Thunder going into their house earlier this season and having probably one of the Thunder’s best wins of the whole year so uh as you pointed out the way that this Thunder team locked on

Late was able to go on that 120 run to finish the game held Zion without even a shot attempt in the final three and a half minutes of that game and part of the reason was just the way that the Thunder was able to be creative late

Mark dnel is always he’s always keeping people on his toes and he goes and makes a switch defensively puts Lou Dort on Zion Williamson prior to that it had mostly been jdub defending Zion Dort had been on CJ McCullum they flipped that matchup what impact do you think that

Had down the stretch I I think more or less the two coaches Willie Green and Mark dagal was playing a game of chess and you remember in the second half they didn’t start their starting center right Jonas valent chunis in fact he didn’t even play the entire second half so I

Was like going okay something’s going on here and Mark just said look you know what I’m just gonna keep switching people up on Zion because you know folks he’s a beast he is just I don’t know there’s no player like him in the league with the grace and power and skills that

He has ATT packing the basket that if you don’t put your work in early with him that guy bounce you off him and get an and one all night long so watching Jay duub Lou and Chad all try to you know defend him you could see at the end

There when Mark made that his final chest move defensively uh you know I saw I saw a different Zion standing out there going wait a minute if you give me the ball away from the basket I can’t get around this guy cuz he’s about as big as I he’s

Just shorter but with the other guys I could quickly get around him because I’m dribbling past half court I got a full head of steam I thought that was a big big adjustment that a lot of coaches don’t get credit for In the Heat of the Moment you know especially when you know

Any minute now they can go bigger when they bring Jonas back into the game but when they came back the the Pelicans from a 20o deficit with that small ball that we were using all of a sudden Willie Green stuck with it and that was when Mark dagel made his move it’s so

Interesting that you pointed out that the valent chunis move also because the Thunder basically forced Willie Green into doing that I mean this is the problem that Chad holgren has been presenting to defenses all season long they cannot put a traditional big out there on the floor with him and so teams

Are sort of scrambling uh to try to deal with that yeah I I thought that was really the key because uh first of all when you got a big like valent chunis and you got him on the floor with Zion that’s a power matchup and I thought

That the Thunder won that battle yep they struggled on Sunday afternoon against Milwaukee but they won the battle the rebounding battle the points in the paint battle the transition Point battles keep in mind that Thunder were up 15 at halftime and if I’m Willie Green I’m doing exactly what he did I’m

Going I’m scratching my head I’m going I’ve got to do something because we’re down 15 we’re at home we’ve been playing great basketball you know how did how did they do it and he probably realized that we were faster we were quicker but more or less we had Shooters on the

Perimeter that could knock down shots including Chad and and you know Jonas is one of those guys like most big men they’re kind of apprehensive about closing out hard on a shooter because they don’t want to get driven by and dunked on I was the same way when I

Played I’d rather give you the three than have you blow by me and dunk on me because that’s that’s like you know that hurts the pride so it’s stuck you know we stuck with what we did and Willie Green stuck with what they did and it

Worked for a minute so I really like the fact that Chad you know he’s unusual for a rookie folks um and I’ve said it I have to sometimes remind myself s this is his rookie season you know he’s averaging almost 17 points a game he’s one of the top shot blockers in the

League and God knows how many shots he changes on a night toight basis that the NBA just doesn’t keep up with you know I’ve seen I’ve seen got like I gotta bring it can I bring that up about the dunk attempt by Trey Trey Murphy the

Third that dunk has was been played all over every social media platform ESPN balet sports you name it because very few players in the league block a shot like that that guy’s up in air and he’s cocking it back like this is going to be

You know a highlight of my my life I’m going to energize his crowd Chad meets him at the Apex and brings him to the floor that’s Chad homegrid Chad’s got as many blocks as he does fouls all season long it’s it’s a very rare category to

Be in of guys that can say that in this league I can’t say that either yeah it’s true I thought you never fil I never fil but I I always had more attempted calls that I thought were unfair than I did you know in terms of

My my my turnovers or you know just the impact that you look at a guy like him it’s more than just the rim protection it’s what you brought up about the three-point shooting you know his ability to get the ball and go Coast to Coast like butter and toast I mean I’m

Watching him at 7 foot one get a rebound and Sprint up the middle of the before he’s smart because he knows if if you’re a big guy you’re running a fast break you don’t want to run along the wings because they can trap you they can come

Up behind you and you have no Escape Route Chad always brings it up the middle I love that he’s a smart player well that five out style the fact that the Thunder has guys up and down the roster that can playmake and that they can put five guys out there to do that

At the same time that’s been the formula All Season that game in New Orleans that marked the Thunder’s 50th win of the year that is the eighth time in the 16 Seasons here of Thunder basketball that the Thunder has had 50 wins or the equivalent of 50 wins in a couple

Shortened Seasons Michael can you put that in perspective for us because that is tied for the most of any team in that time span since the thunder came here in 2008 well man that’s a that’s a good question first of all I played 15

Seasons in the NBA I only had two 50 win Seasons that’s a lot of lonely 13 year 13 years and you played on some good teams some really good team really good teams and so to see that done what six times eight eight times eight times in

16 Seasons so that’s half the time that people have been able to witness Thunder basketball this this team has put itself in Elite category which is a 50 win season then let me point something else out to we’re one of the youngest teams in the league we have one of the

Youngest starting lineups in the league and they’ve experienced a 50- win season already Shay you know your lead guy out there he’s 25 you know uh jayd dub he’s 22 Chad he’s 21 Josh he’s 21 you got all these young guys experiencing this with this organization so young that’s a

Great platform that’s a great Launchpad for understanding how to win and not like it’s not like those 50 wins this year have been front loaded or back loaded or home loaded no they’ve won on the road with 23 wins and they won at home with 28 so you’re you’re talking

About a young team that’s learned how to play on the road and win in tough places and then at the same time protect the home court that’s really unique and for context the Thunder’s average age in its starting lineup is exactly the same as the UNCC Tarheels you know we’re talking

About a little bit of March Madness here in but that crazy I mean these are these These are kids out there on the floor and so it’s just remarkable if you think back to maybe what your expectations might have been of this Thunder team back in October and think about now

Where this squad is at you got to think everything from here on out is gravy because you know to hit the 50 win mark when you’re you’re coming in as one of the the I think the second youngest team in the league is just outstanding and

And and so that’s why Michael you’re GNA have in the course of an 82 Game season you’re going to have a night like last night as well you know right second night of a back to back the road home backto backs those are really tough we

Had quite a few too this year yeah and and so the Houston Rockets who are the hottest team in the league coming into town they had won nine straight games the Thunder is without Shay guildas Alexander he’s got that thigh contusion uh we’ll see Mark said that they’re

Going to continue to kind of evaluate him day to-day Mark digal said that the Thunder head coach Michael so last night the Thunder they come up short it’s a it’s a 132 126 overtime loss just Haymakers being thrown all over the place I wanted to get your rapid fire

Reaction to three plays that we saw last night that uh for me they blew my mind but I wanted to see if you had any experience context that you could put behind it the first one right the rim rocking best poster that I’ve seen all season long Isaiah Joe cocking back for

A one-handed Lefty poster dunk over Jeff Green did you ever imagine It In Your Wildest Dream I mean in my wildest dream did I could I ever do something like could I ever see someone doing something like that in live in fact when it happened and Jeff

Green you know nice guy yeah he just should have got out of that restricted area sooner because you know when I see a guy rising up I’m I’m backing up and I back out of the pitchure and the coach say cage you didn’t contest the shot no

No I knew what was gonna happen but with Isaiah Joe giving up five or six inches to the 6 foot n you know Jeff Green man that was beautiful I I really thought that was probably one of the dunks of the NBA season in my opinion yeah I mean

Just power dunk and the cool thing about Isaiah you know he’s a right-handed shooter but he dunks left-handed and so this is something that I’ve talked to him about over the course of time he said when he was back in middle school he was on the track team and he found

Out that he’s a better you know jumping off one leg he’s a better jumper off of his right leg than he is off of his left leg he gets more power gets more vertical out of it and so you know when you when you go up for a dunk or a layup

You’re supposed to jump off of your opposite leg of what you’re shooting with so he basically just turned it into a craft he realized okay I’m better off my right leg so when I go up to dunk I’m going to slam that thing through Lefty

And I know you got to appreciate that as as a lefty I do especially but he just does it better than I do and I’m a true left-hander but you know what some great players have mastered that art very few I think about Phil Mickelson the golfer who’s right-handed you know but golf’s

Left amazing golfer yeah and in I look at guys like you know Isaiah Joe who we’ve learned over the class the last couple of season just how really good he is at launching off that right foot because you know he’s a terrific three-point shooter and he’s shown that

He can play in the mid-range and then when you see him Elevate like he did last night man I I just I forgot that I was a broadcaster I just say whoa and I was whoa a word can I say that on you know I I lost my mind that’s how

Exciting it was all right next play jayd duub Jaylen Williams game tying three to send this thing into overtime you know the Thunder looked like it maybe just run out a little bit of gas Chad homr had fouled out the shot making from the Rockets was out of control jdub hits

That three what’s going through your mind I’m saying to myself can you arrive twice in your career CU I’m like going what is it what is the ceiling for him yeah you know you imagine the the the the confidence it takes to take that shot with pressure on

You and and they know you’re G to take that shot because they’ve seen how good he is in the fourth quarter and he takes that shot and he hits the dead center of the rim I look at sometimes I look at our team team and how they react and I

Look quickly at the coaches down here for the opposing team I saw Willie Green do this like I told you he was gonna do that well you got to do it first but that was you know it just let me know that the times when Shay is with us and

He’s off the floor job has learned to be the playmaker uh the the Gravity Guy you know the the the take charge of the floor guy until Shay comes back and he’s learned to play that way with with him to me for a second-year player hard to

Do because it’s it’s just you know when we’re in our second season it’s it’s called your Southmore season and the word Southmore by Nature Latin word means Wise Fool he has avoided that that is I didn’t avoid it I didn’t know that I did not avoid I did not avoid that I

Was like well come on coach just give me the ball man stop holding me back you know no job Waits he’s smart you know I think the three years in college really helped him because physically he’s there mentally he’s there and he’s been playing with this great player in Shay

And he’s learned a lot he he’s been in that lab in the summer with a pin and a pad with you know with that that white coat on and he is just showing you he’s just really receiving the fruits of his labor right now and he’s done it with

Such Grace in the sense that he hasn’t forced anything I he plays within the team concept as he’s gotten more responsibility put on his shoulders in terms of you know the things that every player wants the ball in his hands the scoring opportunities he hasn’t let go

Of the Rope at all defensively and with his responsibility as a playmaker U you know more than you know I think two-thirds of his games recently he’s got five or more assists I mean he just continues to playmake I think he’s learned that uh in a short amount of

Time because you know he he’s only what in his second season that to much is given much is required and a lot of young guys don’t know how to stop shooting they don’t know how to stop dribbling either you know they don’t know how to stop doing all these things

That that you know a lot of times that you need I need you to do more to get us going I know you can rebound casage I know but I need you to do something else J dub I know you can drive but I need to

Show you can shoot to three I need to show you can a pass throw those amazing lobs you know I need to see that you can do that he’s understood I guess that philosophy that uh yeah to too much is given that much is required and he’s met

Those expectations at time this year and and in my opinion has exceeded them Y and and the last play I wanted to touch on was the most ridiculous acrobatic play that wasn’t a dunk and it was Josh giddy scoring from his back with the shot clock dwindling down this guy Josh

You know he’s he’s surged here in March I mean just incredible efficiency well up above you know 55% shooting from the field 40% from three in the month of March and and has taken great strides in what’s been you know a challenge of a season for him his teams have continued

To adjust and so he’s really leaned into his shot diet but he’s still shown us that magic that he’s got to his game sometimes you know we see it with the passing wi wizard Wizardry but then you see it with a shot like that too off of

His back well let me start with this saying and then I’ll kind of speak from this it was a shot from the land down under nice nice our Australian reference here for our guy Josh giddy I haven’t seen that in a game where I’ve been a

Part of and and I set it on the air last night to have the presence of Mind shot clock winding down remember if he tries to pass that ball out or roll it out shot clock violation yep but instead he’s on his back and he looks up at the

Rim and does a little toss because you know you talked about that Wizardry with the basketball the shot goes in and once again it’s a shot hurt around the world because when I woke up this morning they weren’t really talking about it was a double overtime game I mean a single

Overtime game they were talking about we gotta show we got to start the show with this shot by Josh giddy and he was chased you remember he was being chased and then he Dove on the floor for the ball to get it and then

Turn over on his back to avoid a lot of things were happening you know moving Parts in that one play alone he moved away from the defender to stop them from getting the jump ball he like literally ripped it the back and then took the shot before the shot clock and it tied

The game I was like going the kid is in the moment man he he has and to to your point he has been in the moment he has waited for those moments when you know he can do those sort of things not just that but his passing how about his his

Attacking Fred vand Fleet last night bumping him bumping him and getting that nice little floater he’s doing it over a lot of different uh Defenders and it’s not just a small sample size he’s been doing that for a big stretch of games but lets you know that’s the consistency

Of Josh giddy right now he had a really good quote last night he said we’re winning team I’m in a really good place I’ve got great people around me you’re going to have es and flows throughout the course of of as career or as a season as a young player and it’s all

About just managing it and sticking together through the highs and the lows and I thought that was great perspective from a guy who you know could have gotten sucked into some of the lows that he’s had this year or could be pounding his chest when he’s having a a high

Moment right now well I I think it speaks for how mentally tough he is and you know being an NBA player I’m just G to say you got to be mentally tough if you’re not some player some fan some situation you’ve been put in is going to take away your confidence

Or it’s going to bring you more confidence and I think Josh is one of those guys he’s not afraid to meet those if you will expectations I know that’s the mother of disappointment but we all have that you know and he’s avoided a lot of that and stayed I think system

Basketball you don’t see him running around outside of the system and you’re going what is he doing no he’s always in the middle of the floor because he knows that’s the that’s he’s most dangerous in the middle of the floor being an excellent passer because he can throw

The lob he can he can take that little floater he can and you know uh Pat kick out to shooters or if you’re going to just what I call load up the paint he’s been knocking down that three so that’s all about his IQ and you know it’s 6

Foot eight man uh third season in the league um he’s unique I I don’t know if you can call him a unicorn because you always say that’s a seven-footer with those kind of descriptions but you know in my opinion Josh giddy is a unicorn I

I can’t think of can you think of any other 6 fo8 point guard that’s in the league right now it’s just not many and and you know he’s not even going to turn 22 until October and so he’s going to be still younger than some of these guys that are

Going to get drafted here coming up in June our very own Paris Lawson had a chance to sit down with Josh uh for an extended one-on-one uh take a listen to what our guy from Down Under had to say we are now joined by Josh giddy the

One and only Josh thanks so much for being here what a problem Paris thank you for having me how you doing doing good uh third media day so I feel like a vet around here now but um it’s a lot of fun Josh uh one of the highlights of my

Offseason was getting a chance to go to Melbourne experience Melbourne for the first time but it wasn’t even the city it was learning about Australian basketball in general the shuffle offense was the most interesting thing to me I can’t stop thinking about it for those who don’t know can you tell us

About the shuffle offense yeah um the shuffle offense is is something that was very big in the junior team that I used to play for the bour tigers um started a long time before I was around and um my dad he he used to run it with his team

It was a very simple offensive system and um he taught it to me and my teammates growing up all through our Junior careers and um it was just a way to uh we we used to run it every time down the floor and there’s a lot of

Different looks you can get out of it and um he taught it as good as anyone I’ve ever been around and um I think that’s where a lot of my passing comes from in that offense there’s a lot of um you know back cuts and slips and

Different reads I had to make and um the shuffle offens is in my opinion I think if an NBA team was to run it no one would be able would got it but um that’s just not how the NBA’s play these days but uh I think that offense is is very

Very good it seems like the Thunder though incorporates elements of it into your y’all’s style of play what sort of things are kind of paralleled with the Thunder and kind of the shuffle off yeah I think we we typically have a lot of cutting um and the shuffle is is all

Revolved around ball movement and cutting and screening and um and there’s a lot of different looks you can get out of it and um our offense is is is similar in that sense where um there’s Not Just One Look on a Play There’s different multiple different options

That that the you know the Handler or the screener can can make the read on and um and Coach bu is because we’ve got a lot of guys that can handle the ball out there coach puts us in positions where um you know we’re engaged even if

We don’t have the ball in our hands as a cutter as a screener whatever it is um so that aspect is very similar to the shuffle and how I grew up playing so um it’s good to kind of makes me feel like I’m back at home a little bit a little

Bit a little little reminiscent you mentioned that that’s where you got a lot of your passing from as the team’s offense gets better and improves over the course of seasons do you feel like you can make more simple passes now and not have to make so many of those kind

Of Daring passes that you you used to make yeah I mean I think that comes with time and and the more we all get on the same page um those daring pass do become the simple pass and um and for me I I I like to play on the edge a little bit

It’s just how I’ve always played and um I’m fortunate enough that you know Mark gives me that freedom to kind of go out there and sometimes you know I have to turnone back the turnovers a little bit but um you know I’m just glad I have teammates and coaches that that trust me

To make the right play and although sometimes it does result in turnovers and I definitely hear about it but um yeah as I said I think the the longer we stop playing I keep playing together sorry um those passes that look tough in my first second year they they become

The normal and um and and it’s just great that we’ve got such a you know connected team with with great chemistry and it feels like we’re just we’re getting closer and closer you know every game we play together and you incorporating guy like ched into the

Team now it’s going to make my job a lot easier playing with uh big that can stretch the floor they can play Above the Rim as a lob threat so not that throwing lobs is my fault but um it’s awesome to have a guy like that back in

The team that can uh make the game so much easier for everybody else you you haven’t thrown a lot of lobs so I I I don’t know if we have a fair sample size to judge whether or not you throw or not I hopefully it gets

Better I mean the first one I tried to throw to chat um in the summer I threw it right off the back ball and it bounced back to me it didn’t even hit his hand so something I’ve got to work on and get better at I want to go back

To a littleit you mentioned the freedom to make mistakes and you don’t get rattled very often right it seems like you’re very Fearless out there on the floor where does that come from for you um I think it’s always been you know a thing of mine not to um not to show the

Other team that you know you’re fatigued you’re you’re frustrated you’re stressed because that gives them an advantage um if they see that type of thing that they go at it and uh for me um especially in big moments you have to stay level-headed you can’t um you can’t

Start doing things you haven’t done all year and um I think that was a big thing in the playing uh we we played U and that was a difference between two games I think the New Orleans game we played the same way we had all year which got

It to that point and the Minnesota I think myself included we tried to do things that we hadn’t done all year and that’s what hurt us and um I think in the big pressure moments you have to stick to what’s got you to that point and um and it was a great learning

Experience for the guys you know a lot of us was our first taste of a playoff action and play in playoff whatever you want to call it and um and it would be better for us going forward now that we’ve had that experience you know under our belt so

Um staying levelhead is very important not letting big moments small moments whatever it is distract you um and just continue with you know what’s going you to that point we’ve mentioned the passing another big element of your game is your rebounding just how is that element of your game involved in your

Time in the league yeah um rebounding is something that um it’s not really a skill to say I mean it is in some sense for big guys especially you know having a box out and go get the ball but for a GU like myself um typically I’m guarding

Guys that aren’t going to crash the o glass so uh my job’s not too hard on the glass I try to help The Bigs out because especially when we go small ball we need everyone in there crashing the boards and um I just try and make their job a

Little easier and uh rebounding has always been something fun for me because it’s a great way to get out in transition to start the break and um offensively it gets us extra possession so um rebound has always been something I’ve I’ve tried to you know make an

Emphasis on is there any moment from maybe your rookie season that you look back on and laugh now given the way you’re able to hold your own in terms of rebounding now yeah um I mean there’s a lot I mean I used to as

I said I used to joke around with J Rob B all the time because um you know he would have to do all the hard workk and he would be you know especially when we’re playing those type of bigs that crash the glass like you know embiid yic

Whoever it was it was Andre Drummond W that that was the funniest one because he was having a boxing B all night and I was coming in just getting every rebound and the poor guy couldn’t get one so um yeah it is fun playing with these bigs

That do all the dirty working um you know it makes my job a little easier you guys are working together that’s all that is exactly we’re on the same teing together um Switching gears a little bit you’re very self-aware when you understand your path and growth as

As a shooter um how important is it for you to see that big picture for you very um I mean it’s something that has obviously got to get better um it was something that I’ve spent a lot of time this summer working on and uh me and

Chip have spent a lot of time together and and he’s been awesome in um in that sense and um and he does a great job of a lot of it’s not you know technical a lot of it for me was you know just um confidence wise and um going out there

And I think for me the big thing was like you know I miss one I worry my percentage going up is it going down wherever that may be and um the big thing that he emphasized to me was um shoot you know the great Shooters look

Forward to the next shot after a Miss because they know what they did wrong and they know what to clean up on and that’s something I’ve really that mindset something I’ve embraced um over the summer and um and I think the the big thing for me is not coming into this

Season trying to prove to everyone that that I’m this knocked out shooter um and blazing away from three now and I think just taking the right ones and that’s something I did last year was just taking the right ones understanding if the defense doesn’t close out shoot

The ball if they do make the right read so um you know I’m smart enough to to make the right play and um yeah I mean I’m not coming into this season trying to change the perception on my shooting and what it is and um yeah I mean if

They’re there to take I’m going to shoot I’m not going to hesitate but I’m not going to come out blaze it away trying to change the narrative that I’m you know turned into JJ reic over the last four months right keeping the The Long

View mind for you all as a team over the past couple of years you’ve had to show a lot of resilience in the face of adversity how important is it to now have you know humility in in the face of success very um because it’s easy to get

Caught up um in in highs and lows and um what the best piece of advice I got is nothing’s ever As Good As It Seems nothing’s ever as bad as it seems and especially in a big moment I think um you know I I keep referring but that

Playing game we came off such a high in New Orleans and a massive win um against a really good good team to keep our season alive and then um we come to Minnesota and it’s such a low you know your season ends on that note and um

It’s just that it’s how basball works there’s Great Moments there’s bad moments and um staying levelheaded and neutral is a really important thing and um yeah I mean this team’s going to hopefully continue on the path where we are and there’s going to be more success that comes with it but not letting

Outside noise distract you not letting um outside expectations um disrupt what we’re doing internally is very important so we got the right guys to that that handle right you know Sam and Mark really preach that so um that shouldn’t be a problem for our team given the path

That this group is on what’s it been like for you being a part of this group and growing with them kind of organically over the last couple Seasons it’s been awesome I mean when I came in you know it was a rebuilding team it was

A young group we we won the year before I came they won you know 20 or so games my rookie year we won 20 or so games and then the jump we were able to make last year was just impressive and nobody pitched us doing what we did and getting

To the point where we did and um it’s just a testament to the group uh we we never let the outside noise and expectations bother what we were doing and um and that’s not to say this year that we’re going to make another 15 game you know increase um because this is not

How it works you can’t it’s not never linear it’s never going to be um a steady growth and um there’s going to be challenges uh we’re going to go through stretches where we’re 2 and8 2- seven whatever it is and um just not letting those bad runs um get the group down get

The morale of the team down and um and as I said we’ve got the right guys we come into the building every day win or lose with the same mindset of getting better and um stacking good days so um that’s never a worry for this team and

Hopefully um this year we can continue you know in the right path and um hopefully continue to um up the win column Switching gears a little bit I want to talk about your hometown I want to talk about Melbourne for a little bit for those who’ve never been can you tell

Us what makes Melbourne so special um well there’s a lot of things as you know um for me it’s home for me so all my family and friends are there um I think it’s a massive sporting City there’s there there’s the AFL there’s the NBL which is the um basketball league in

Australia over there there’s um there’s a million you know different sports going on and in the city and um it’s it’s busy and for Americans it’s similar to I think it’s almost to Toronto um that’s kind of the way I look at Melbourne and New York Toronto um it’s

Very busy City a lot of traffic um a lot of good restaurants um so there’s a lot to do and for me it’s home and I love it but I in my opinion it’s the best city in well if someone was going to Melbourne for the first time and they

Asked your advice what do I need to do where do I need to go eat what would you tell them um to eat uh Grady at Crown the best restaurant I go there all the time me and my friends go there all the time um to do I mean there’s a it

Depends when you go as well because different sporting seasons are on at different points um a lot of artists started to go out there to to do concerts and things like that so um it’s so far away from America which is like the big downfall but um yeah there’s a

Million things to do whether you go to Melbourne Sydney you know the Gold Coast the beaches are awesome up there um the weather’s great during the summer um night life’s awesome restaurants are great so there’s I could go on for ages about it but it’s uh it’s I think it’s

The best place in the world the other thing that grounds you to Melbourne is the fact that you know your dad represented that team played for the Melbourne tigers do you remember when you fell in love with the game of basketball and did your dad play an

Influence in that he did um I mean I was around it for for such a long time and cuz he played he’s you know jerseys in the rafters and um in Melbourne and I think from a young age I I was around the game so much that it was inevitable

That I was going to play I I had no idea what level I was going to play at I always wanted to be an NBL player and if I could have carve had a great NBL career that was like perfect for me as a young kid and um because that’s what I

Grew up watching you know those type of games and players and um and as things progressed a little better I I eventually got a little bit better and better and made made my way to the NBA and um but yeah I think Dad when I got

To about 15 I had to decide whether I wanted to take a scholarship offer to the NBA Academy which is um in cber away from Melbourne i s out to move out of home at an early age and that was the point for me where I was like well if I

Do this I’ve got to go all in with basketball and um and I did it uh and my parents were never pushy they they never forced me to play a sport um I always love playing basketball but I as a kid I did a million different sports and um I

Did tennis Cricket footy basketball I played a bunch of different things and um they never pushed me one way um and when I made the decision um to to to go to the NBA Academy that’s when essentially I said that you know basketball um I have to go all in with

It and I have to you know give it a real shot and clearly you made the right decision do you think about that often I I do but at the time I made the decision to go I was better at footy that I wasn’t basketball but um it was just you

Know to go to the NBA Academy as a kid is a is a thing that you know a lot of kids around the world would would you know um love to do that and I just couldn’t pass up on that opportunity and um I clearly took it and it worked out

All right well we’re glad you made that decision Josh thank you so much for taking the time and sitting down with we appreciate it good always love hearing from Josh and great interview by Paris of course and uh Michael let’s take a look at what’s

On tap for the Thunder which is one more game here at home on Friday the Phoenix Sun’s coming into town one of those Friday Thunder Friday nights that we always talk about on ksbi you can catch that game here locally channel 52 um and then up in Tulsa Channel

6.3 and Michael there’s something else happening this like I said we’re recording on Thursday before the team goes out of town on this big road trip before this game on Friday against the Suns you’re Alma moer the San Diego State Aztecs they’re playing tonight against the number one overall seed

Yukon Huskies I want to get you on the record now now our viewers you’re not going to see this until uh Friday morning so we’ve got Michael locked in now what is your prediction for tonight’s game against Yukon let me just start with this I’m an Aztec for life that’s all no just

Kidding I you know first of all for the program awesome congratulations because this is back-to-back years for them reaching this sweet 16 and you know they played in the national championship game last year it’s tough to beat an Aztec twice in the same championship tournament so I got to go with my azex

You know because not that they retired my jersey not that I went to that school just don’t forget about all that people just stick with what I’m saying Aztec will overcome the Huskies tonight all right we’ve got that locked in while we’re speaking of of March Madness in

College basketball big shout out also to Langston University whose men’s basketball team made their very first ever uh ni NAIA national championship game came up just short they were the runners up but obviously an amazing season here for Oklahoma’s only HBCU so big time shout out to the Langston Lions

Uh so be sure to tune in on Friday night as the Thunder takes on the Sun that big long road trip it’s the longest road trip of the season coming up after that over to the east coast that starts in New York with stops in Philly and

Boston as well following up after that thank you so much for tuning in be sure to like rate and subscribe wherever you get your podcast and until next time Thunder up and catch you later

Michael Cage joins Nick to recap the Thunder’s 119-112 road win over the Pelicans where the team hit the 50-win mark. The guys also look back on three plays from Wednesday’s home game that caught their eye. Then, Paris sits down with Josh Giddey to talk about basketball in Australia, the fearlessness he plays with on the court, the development of his passing and rebounding, keeping a level head and more.

0:30 Nick Gallo is joined by Michael Cage as they recap the Thunder’s game in New Orleans
7:35 Thunder reaches the 50-win mark
10:17 Rapid-fire reaction to 3 plays
20:18 Paris sits down with Josh Giddey
22:26 The art of assists, collectedness, and rebounding
27:58 Resilience and growth in the face of adversity
30:15 All about Melbourne, Australia
33:44 Looking ahead…

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