For the second time in 5 years, the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder went Down Underneath to discover a first-round decide within the NBA draft, taking Josh Giddey at No. 6 on Thursday night time.The 18-year-old Giddey, a 6-foot-8 guard from Melbourne, Australia, attended the NBA World Academy in 2019-20 and performed final season for the Adelaide 36ers in Australia’s Nationwide Basketball League. He was named the league’s rookie of the 12 months after averaging 10.9 factors, 7.3 rebounds and a league-best 7.6 assists per sport.He already has an Oklahoma connection: His sister, Hannah Giddey, is a 6-foot-1 ahead headed into her sophomore season at Oral Roberts in Tulsa, about 100 miles from Oklahoma Metropolis. Giddey known as it a “dream scenario” to have the ability to play so near his sister.“Oklahoma is definitely one among my favourite groups and to be picked by them it’s a dream come true,” he mentioned. “So, love the blokes, the coaches, the employees on the crew and actually blissful to be there.”Oklahoma Metropolis traded its second first-round decide, at No. 16, to Houston and selected Alperen Sengun for the Rockets. The Thunder acquired a pair of future first-round picks in return.The Thunder additionally took Tre Mann, a 6-foot-5 guard from Florida, with the No. 18 general decide within the first spherical.“We felt it was a particularly productive night time for us,” Thunder’basic supervisor, Sam Presti mentioned. “We’re excited in regards to the gamers that we have been ready so as to add and enthusiastic about these guys coming into this system. All of them convey one thing completely different and I feel will probably be optimistic contributors to the group. All of them have quite a lot of work in entrance of them and that is simply the start line for his or her careers. … We’re trying ahead to strolling with them by their growth paths.”Giddey is the primary NBA World Academy graduate to be drafted into the NBA and the highest-drafted participant from Australia since Ben Simmons, who went first general to the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016.Giddey is the eighth Australian to be drafted within the first spherical. Though he wasn’t from Australia, in 2017, the Thunder used the No. 21 general decide on Terrance Ferguson, who had performed for the 36ers the earlier season.“To comply with on from the blokes we now have had (from Australia) undergo the NBA, it means loads to me and I regarded as much as these guys for a very long time and I communicate to them and attempt to get recommendation from them,” Giddey mentioned. “The Australian basketball neighborhood is absolutely tight. So, to have these guys by my aspect and supporting me by this complete course of has been actually good for me.”Ought to Giddey play for the Thunder subsequent season, he’ll be the second teenager on the Thunder roster, becoming a member of Aleksej Pokusevski, who received’t flip 20 till December. The Thunder obtained Pokusevski, the seventeenth decide of the 2023 NBA draft, by a commerce with Minnesota.Giddey “is any person that basically has quite a lot of room to develop as a basketball participant, however already has proven by his expertise abroad the flexibility to influence skilled video games at a really, very younger age,” Presti mentioned. “He makes different folks higher and that’s a very essential trait as we proceed so as to add different gamers to our crew.”Mann averaged 16.0 factors and 5.6 rebounds per sport for Florida as a sophomore. He completed eighth within the Southeastern Convention in scoring and sixth in free-throw share (83.1) and assists per sport (3.5). He was an All-SEC second-team choice.He’s the primary first-round draft decide produced by the Gators since Bradley Beal in 2012.“We’re all simply so excited for Tre,” Florida coach Mike White mentioned. “He has put in an unbelievable quantity of labor to get thus far, and his dedication, dedication and maturity have helped him attain this objective. He has earned this second, and I couldn’t be happier for him.”Within the second spherical, the Thunder picked up 6-foot-9 ahead Jeremiah Robinson-Earl of Villanova. He led the Wildcats in scoring (15.7 factors per sport) and rebounding (8.5 per sport) whereas serving to them advance to the spherical of 16 within the NCAA event.The Thunder swapped two of its second-round picks, at No. 34 and No. 36, with New York for the rights to Robinson-Earl, who the Knicks chosen at No. 32.“The Thunder are fortunate to be getting a high-character, hard-working younger man,” Villanova coach Jay Wright mentioned on Twitter. “Jeremiah is able to compete on the subsequent degree within the NBA.”With the No. 55 decide, Oklahoma Metropolis chosen Aaron Wiggins, a 6-foot-6 guard from Maryland who averaged 14.5 factors, 5.8 rebounds and a couple of.5 assists per sport final season as a junior. As a sophomore, he was named because the Huge Ten Convention’s sixth man of the 12 months because the Terrapins received the league title.
For the second time in 5 years, the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder went Down Underneath to discover a first-round decide within the NBA draft, taking Josh Giddey at No. 6 on Thursday night time.
The 18-year-old Giddey, a 6-foot-8 guard from Melbourne, Australia, attended the NBA World Academy in 2019-20 and performed final season for the Adelaide 36ers in Australia’s Nationwide Basketball League. He was named the league’s rookie of the 12 months after averaging 10.9 factors, 7.3 rebounds and a league-best 7.6 assists per sport.
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He already has an Oklahoma connection: His sister, Hannah Giddey, is a 6-foot-1 ahead headed into her sophomore season at Oral Roberts in Tulsa, about 100 miles from Oklahoma Metropolis. Giddey known as it a “dream scenario” to have the ability to play so near his sister.
“Oklahoma is definitely one among my favourite groups and to be picked by them it’s a dream come true,” he mentioned. “So, love the blokes, the coaches, the employees on the crew and actually blissful to be there.”
Oklahoma Metropolis traded its second first-round decide, at No. 16, to Houston and selected Alperen Sengun for the Rockets. The Thunder acquired a pair of future first-round picks in return.
The Thunder additionally took Tre Mann, a 6-foot-5 guard from Florida, with the No. 18 general decide within the first spherical.
“We felt it was a particularly productive night time for us,” Thunder’basic supervisor, Sam Presti mentioned. “We’re excited in regards to the gamers that we have been ready so as to add and enthusiastic about these guys coming into this system. All of them convey one thing completely different and I feel will probably be optimistic contributors to the group. All of them have quite a lot of work in entrance of them and that is simply the start line for his or her careers. … We’re trying ahead to strolling with them by their growth paths.”
Giddey is the primary NBA World Academy graduate to be drafted into the NBA and the highest-drafted participant from Australia since Ben Simmons, who went first general to the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016.
Giddey is the eighth Australian to be drafted within the first spherical. Though he wasn’t from Australia, in 2017, the Thunder used the No. 21 general decide on Terrance Ferguson, who had performed for the 36ers the earlier season.
“To comply with on from the blokes we now have had (from Australia) undergo the NBA, it means loads to me and I regarded as much as these guys for a very long time and I communicate to them and attempt to get recommendation from them,” Giddey mentioned. “The Australian basketball neighborhood is absolutely tight. So, to have these guys by my aspect and supporting me by this complete course of has been actually good for me.”
Ought to Giddey play for the Thunder subsequent season, he’ll be the second teenager on the Thunder roster, becoming a member of Aleksej Pokusevski, who received’t flip 20 till December. The Thunder obtained Pokusevski, the seventeenth decide of the 2023 NBA draft, by a commerce with Minnesota.
Giddey “is any person that basically has quite a lot of room to develop as a basketball participant, however already has proven by his expertise abroad the flexibility to influence skilled video games at a really, very younger age,” Presti mentioned. “He makes different folks higher and that’s a very essential trait as we proceed so as to add different gamers to our crew.”
Mann averaged 16.0 factors and 5.6 rebounds per sport for Florida as a sophomore. He completed eighth within the Southeastern Convention in scoring and sixth in free-throw share (83.1) and assists per sport (3.5). He was an All-SEC second-team choice.
He’s the primary first-round draft decide produced by the Gators since Bradley Beal in 2012.
“We’re all simply so excited for Tre,” Florida coach Mike White mentioned. “He has put in an unbelievable quantity of labor to get thus far, and his dedication, dedication and maturity have helped him attain this objective. He has earned this second, and I couldn’t be happier for him.”
Within the second spherical, the Thunder picked up 6-foot-9 ahead Jeremiah Robinson-Earl of Villanova. He led the Wildcats in scoring (15.7 factors per sport) and rebounding (8.5 per sport) whereas serving to them advance to the spherical of 16 within the NCAA event.
The Thunder swapped two of its second-round picks, at No. 34 and No. 36, with New York for the rights to Robinson-Earl, who the Knicks chosen at No. 32.
“The Thunder are fortunate to be getting a high-character, hard-working younger man,” Villanova coach Jay Wright mentioned on Twitter. “Jeremiah is able to compete on the subsequent degree within the NBA.”
With the No. 55 decide, Oklahoma Metropolis chosen Aaron Wiggins, a 6-foot-6 guard from Maryland who averaged 14.5 factors, 5.8 rebounds and a couple of.5 assists per sport final season as a junior. As a sophomore, he was named because the Huge Ten Convention’s sixth man of the 12 months because the Terrapins received the league title.
