Possible Lottery Pick Josh Giddey Will Enter 2021 Draft
7:10pm: Giddey confirmed the news on his official Instagram page in a lengthy post.
6:17pm: Agents Daniel Moldovan and Alex Saratsis of Octagon Sports have announced that Adelaide 36ers guard Josh Giddey will enter the 2021 NBA draft, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The 6’8″ Giddey is currently ranked as the No. 13 prospect on ESPN’s big board, fourth among shooting guards. Across 21 games with Adelaide during the 2020/21 season, the ball-handling guard posted averages of 10.9 PPG, 7.1 APG and 6.9 RPG and 1.2 SPG in the Australian NBL, on .411/.308/.686 shooting.
“The 36ers have done a great job developing me, and have put a lot of work into my game over the entire time I’ve been here,” Giddey said in an announcement. “My teammates and the coaching staff here in Adelaide have helped my game reach a new level, and that’s only given me more confidence that this is the right decision for me.”
And-Ones: Holmgren, Travel, Mirotic, Giddey
Seven-foot center Chet Holmgren, the top player in this year’s high school recruiting class and a candidate to be the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, has committed to Gonzaga, as Jeff Goodman of Stadium tweets.
While Jalen Suggs and Corey Kispert, among other Zags, appear headed to the NBA, the addition of Holmgrem and the possible return of players like Drew Timme and Andrew Nembhard should make Gonzaga a powerhouse again next season, Goodman notes.
When ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz completed their first 2022 mock draft in December, they wrote that Holmgren is “in a class of his own” and “checks every box” teams want in a top pick. The young center is considered an ideal big man, possessing the ability to block shots, knock down three-pointers, and even handle the ball. He’ll look to cement his place as next year’s first overall pick in his freshman year at Gonzaga.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The NBA sent a memo to teams announcing that it will eliminate restrictions on international travel for fully vaccinated individuals, reports ESPN’s Givony. Scouts and executives have been prohibited from making international scouting trips all season long, but many will now have the opportunity to do so before the July 29 draft.
- Speaking of international players, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype polled 15 NBA talent evaluators about the best players currently in leagues around the world. Former NBA forward Nikola Mirotic topped the list, with potential 2021 lottery pick Josh Giddey of the Adelaide 36ers coming in second.
- Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report examines the impact the compressed schedule and the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols have had on players and coaches, touching on many of the same points that Baxter Holmes of ESPN did last week.