30 in 30: Will this finally be the year for the Oklahoma City Thunder?

Josh Giddey needs to step up for the Oklahoma City Thunder

In the absence of Chet Holmgren this season, all eyes will be on second-year player Josh Giddey to take an even bigger role within the team. Coming off a rookie season in which he averaged 13 points, eight rebounds, and six assists on 42 percent shooting from the field, it’s not that outlandish of a thought.

Giddey is an intriguing talent that showed promise throughout his rookie season. He may not be the game-changing player on the offensive end of the floor that turns heads, but there’s no question that he could be a valuable player for the Thunder this season. And if he can take another step in his progression, he could help take some of the pressure off of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The Thunder has a strong young core but every young core needs a player or two to step up above the rest. SGA has consistently done that for the last three years for OKC. They need a second to join his ranks on the team, and Giddey may very well be that player this season.