Of the Chicago Bulls’ ten best offensive two-man lineups, two featured Josh Giddey. His pairing with midseason addition Kevin Huerter produced a 125.8 offensive rating—ninth-best in the entire NBA among qualifying duos, who spent at least 100 minutes together.
It’s no surprise the Giddey–Huerter pairing clicked. Giddey’s 7.2 assists per game (13th in the NBA) and 10.8 drives per game demand defensive attention, while Huerter’s spot-up shooting turns that pressure into points. Together, they form an offensive engine.
The other Bulls duo to crack the team’s top ten featured Giddey alongside fellow midseason addition and point guard, Tre Jones. In 169 minutes together, the pairing posted a 122.1 offensive rating—the fourth-best mark among Chicago’s two-man lineups.
Josh Giddey and Tre Jones make for a surprisingly terrific duo
The offensive success of this duo comes as a surprise. Both Giddey (6.1 career assists per game) and Jones (4.7) are excellent facilitators, but neither has traditionally thrived without the ball in their hands.
Giddey has only shot above 35 percent on catch-and-shoot threes once in his career, and it came this past season, specifically from February onward. On the other hand, Jones has surpassed the 35 percent mark twice, in 2023–24 and coincidentally this past season, specifically starting from February 2025, when he was traded to the Bulls.
Somehow, both players shot better than ever in the latter half of last season. Looking at the numbers, little changed individually: each still prioritized wide-open, no-dribble threes and shots within 10 feet.
What stood out most was the pace whenever Giddey and Jones played together. Among 91 Bulls duos with at least 100 minutes, they ranked dead last at 101.61—still would be fifth-best in the NBA, but noticeably slower than Chicago’s 103.61 season average.
Although the Bulls played at a slower pace with both floor generals on the court, the duo still posted a 61.1 true shooting percentage, ninth among 91 lineups. Their assist-to-turnover ratio was equally impressive at 2.33.
Consequently, it’s fair to say this pass-first point guard duo produces a different style of play than the Bulls are used to, a slower, half-court game that favors twos over threes, which is unusual for a half-court offense. Just 38.0 percent of Chicago’s shots came from beyond the arc with Giddey and Jones on the floor—last among the 91 qualified duos. For instance, 45.7 percent of Chicago's field goal attempts came from beyond the arc over the course of the season.
The duo excelled at creating looks around the rim, boosting Chicago’s true shooting percentage and offensive rating. This suggests that pairing multiple willing and creative passers leads to easier scoring opportunities.
Finally, more observation than stat, when Jones is on the floor with Giddey, the latter gets the rare chance to play off the ball and adopt a more aggressive mindset. Jones’ drives create kick-outs for Giddey, allowing the 6-foot-8 guard either to get an open shot or attack the closeout for an easy look in the paint.
A two-man pairing that might not have been expected to click has proven statistically efficient and brings a distinct style of play. For that reason, Billy Donovan must continue to get Giddey and Jones on the floor together this season.