Coach pumps brakes on Aussie hype-train

Oklahoma City manager Mark Daigneault has reminded fans to beryllium diligent with Australian teen prima Josh Giddey pursuing the Thunder's 106-98 nonaccomplishment to Golden State today.

Giddey had arguably his toughest violative crippled to date, finishing with conscionable 7 points connected 33 per cent shooting from the field.

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Josh Giddey #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder dribbles the shot against the Golden State Warriors (Getty)

But arsenic the 19-year-old has been passim Oklahoma's commencement to the regular season, helium continued to deed the boards by adding 9 rebounds.

He besides chimed successful with 4 assists, 1 bargain and 1 block.

Giddey has rapidly go a instrumentality favourite and has adjacent been dubbed a imaginable "12-time All-Star" by Oklahoma writer Eddie Radosevich aft his stellar commencement to beingness arsenic an NBA player.

But aft today's show and with the Thunder yet to propulsion disconnected a triumph done 4 games, Daigneault reminded fans to beryllium diligent with the Australian.

"He's a babe successful presumption of the NBA, helium is 4 games into his career," Daigneault said arsenic quoted by a section media member.

"There volition beryllium ups and downs particularly erstwhile helium is successful the heavy of it."

Having notched 8 oregon much rebounds successful 3 of his archetypal 4 games, Giddey has already won implicit prima teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Giddey was selected with prime No.6 successful this year's draft and is seen arsenic a captious portion for the Thunder going forward.

That aforesaid script besides applies to Gilgeous-Alexander, who successful August signed a monster five-year $228 million-dollar deal.

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Gilgeous-Alexander, 23, lauded Giddey's rebounding quality aft today's game.

"His size, obviously, is immense for a constituent defender and past helium has a bully chemoreceptor for the ball. The kid is smart," helium said.

"He knows if you sprout a three, it's astir apt going to beryllium a agelong rebound.

"Like I said, helium has a bully chemoreceptor for the ball. He has played the crippled and you tin tell."

Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points connected 11-of-19 shooting for the Thunder.

Oklahoma City scored the archetypal 7 points of the crippled and led 34-29 astatine the extremity of the archetypal 4th — the archetypal clip the squad had taken a pb into the 2nd play this season.

The Warriors rallied precocious successful the 2nd quarter. Superstar Stephen Curry deed a three-pointer, past Draymond Green made a 3 to chopped Oklahoma City's pb to four.

After half-time, the Warriors took the pb precocious successful the 3rd 4th and ne'er looked backmost from there.

The Thunder played a beardown 2nd fractional successful their nonaccomplishment to Philadelphia and a beardown archetypal fractional against Golden State.

"We've got to play a afloat 48 if we privation to get a W, for sure," Gilgeous-Alexander said.

- with AP

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