NBA news: Josh Giddey has been sidelined for the season due to hip soreness.
The Oklahoma City Thunder announced on Saturday that guard Josh Giddey will miss the rest of the 2021-22 season due to hip pain.
Coach Mark Daigneault made the news before Saturday’s game during a press conference. Giddey hasn’t played since February 24. And Daigneault claimed the “return-to-play component” of his recovery will take longer than the next two weeks of the regular season.
“It’s a complicated injury that might be unpredictable,” Daigneault added. “I wouldn’t say it exceeded or fell short of expectations. We didn’t have any preconceived notions.” Giddey, was the sixth overall choice in last year’s draught. He finished his excellent rookie season with 12.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.4 assists in 54 games.
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On Jan. 2, Giddey, at 19, became the NBA‘s youngest player to record a triple-double. And he was voted Western Conference Rookie of the Month four times.
NBA news: Giddey hasn’t played in a game since Feb 24
The rookie season of Josh Giddey has come to an end. Coach Mark Daigneault of the Oklahoma City Thunder confirmed that Giddey will miss the rest of the season due to hip pain before to Saturday night’s game against the Denver Nuggets.
Because of the injury, Giddey hasn’t played in a game since Feb. 24, and Daigneault said the “return-to-play component” of his recovery will take longer than the two weeks left in the regular season.
Given that the Thunder are now outside of the Western Conference playoff picture, it’s understandable that they’d like to be cautious with Giddey. After all, his long-term health is the most important consideration here.
In the 2021 NBA Draft, the Thunder picked Giddey with the sixth overall choice. This season, he played in 54 games and averaged 12.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.4 assists in 31.5 minutes. His rookie season was notable for making history as he became the league’s youngest player to record a triple-double in January.
“It’s cool,” Giddey stated at the time of the achievement. “Individual metrics are excellent. I’ll enjoy it for the rest of the night, but a win is always preferable to individual numbers in my opinion. I’d be happier if I had zero, zero, zero and we won than if I had a triple-double and [we] lost. That’s how it’s always been for me, and it always will be. But, yes, it’s a significant achievement.”
Giddey, who is only 19 years old, has already established himself as one of the most exciting young players in the league, and his and the Thunder’s futures seem bright.
