Josh Giddey admires Holmgren after his debut: 'Chet makes my job really easy' / News - Basketnews.com

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Oklahoma City Thunder's No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren left the NBA world amazed as the 20-year-old Gonzaga product made his debut alongside Australian talent Josh Giddey.

Points this season

43%104,0Points made:104,0Accuracy:43,1%Place in standings:30Record max:134Record min:79Best scorer:Shai Gilgeous-AlexanderTeamNBAStatisticsSchedule

The duo propelled OKC to a cruising 98-77(29-9, 18-23, 29-18, 22-27) win over the Utah Jazz at the Salt Lake City Summer League.

Holmgren was all over the floor from the opening tip. In the first 9 minutes of his Summer League debut, he had 13 points, ultimately finishing with an impressive line of 23 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 6 blocks in just 24 minutes. How did he get comfortable so quickly?

"Shout-out to my teammates for setting me up: talking to me, putting me in positions to be successful," Holmgren said post-game standing next to Josh Giddey. "Shot-out to this guy right here [Giddey]. Double-double with assists, a great night for him, and that helped me a lot."

After a solid rookie year in the NBA last season, Giddey was called into Summer League duty as well. The 19-year-old Aussie aided Holmgren with 14 points, 11 assists, and 5 rebounds.

"The hype that he came in with, and the way he played tonight was big for us," Giddey said of his new teammate. "Being a high pick like that, there's a lot of pressure coming in, and he handled it as well as he could have."

"Makes my job really easy playing with someone like him, who can stretch the floor, finish at the rim, protect me — he's got my back on the defensive end," Giddey continued. "Love playing with him. It's been one game, and the chemistry's only getting stronger."

The American-Australian combo showed a promising connection in their first time sharing a court together and made a statement that the hype is real.

Chet Holmgren's debut

Josh Giddey's performance

Full game highlights

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