Josh Giddey analyzes his harrowing yet harmonious final year with the Thunder

This summer, the OKC Thunder decided that three years was all they wanted to give Josh Giddey, sending the point guard to the Chicago Bulls in late June in a simple trade for veteran 3-and-D player Alex Caruso.

The Australian-born baller was selected sixth overall in the 2021 NBA Draft and came into the league as a highly touted backcourt prospect. Throughout his tenure in the Loud City, he showed flashes of potential to become a future star, with players like LeBron James even singing his unique, versatile skill set.

Unfortunately, it was his final season in the Loud City that turned out to be Giddey's least impressive season in the league to date, as he posted career lows in almost every area. In 80 games played, the 21-year-old averaged just 12.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per night.

Of course, his declining performance was not necessarily a sign of a decline in his talent, but rather the result of mental fatigue due to off-the-field issues and the constant role changes in head coach Mark Daigneault's rotation system.

During a recent appearance on Ball Magnets, Giddey spoke to host Tom Mitchell about those very issues and provided a memorable description of what his final season with the Thunder felt like.

Giddey compared the 2023-24 season to a “nightmare that would never end,” noting that he was never able to find a consistent groove during his farewell tour with the Thunder.

“I felt like I was never getting going. I had one, two, three good games in a row and then a series of bad ones. It just felt like I was never getting going,” said Giddey.

These periods of “bad” games seemed to last for weeks throughout the season, as he followed sensational triple-double performances like the one on January 11 against the Trail Blazers with a miserable performance against the Lakers just four days later, in which he scored 8 points on a shooting percentage of 25.0 percent.

From there, he scored in single digits in four of his next seven games, averaging just 9.3 points and 4.3 assists on 42.2 percent shooting from the field and 19.0 percent from beyond the arc.

Of course, there were some solid stretches throughout the year, especially during a 20-game streak from March 4 to April 10 in which he averaged 16.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.1 assists on 54.8 percent shooting from the field and 37.3 percent from beyond the arc. Giddey credited his ability to keep going through the whole thing to one thing: his teammates.

“The best part for me was just integrating myself into the team. Whether I was on the plane, in the hotel or in the locker room, just being around my teammates made everything so much better.” said Giddey.

He describes his experiences with his former teammates behind closed doors as “some of the best times,” and even goes so far as to call some of those still with the Thunder “some of my closest friends.” It's obvious that despite the ups and downs of the 2023-24 season and ultimately his departure from the franchise, Giddey and Oklahoma City are not on friendly terms.

Based on comments from players and staff since his departure this summer, the feeling appears to be mutual.

Now that that never-ending nightmare is seemingly behind him, Giddey is looking to start a new chapter of his professional career in the Windy City. He will take command of the backcourt of a Chicago team that is lacking in real point guard talent (at least healthy ones) and has now been out of the playoffs for two straight seasons.

The former lottery pick believes he can finally reach his full potential in this new situation, and given his all-player style of play and his 6'0″ height, this could be a real buzz for him.