At 6-foot-8 with a flashy pass-first mentality, Josh Giddey provides the Chicago Bulls with a unique option at the point guard spot -- although he brought some obvious weaknesses with him from Oklahoma City, specifically a lack of a jumper. He took a massive step up in that department last season, however, which helped him earn a long-term contract extension and a new role in Chicago.
Giddey's flaws were glaring during his final season in OKC. The Thunder went from being a 24-58 bottom dweller in his rookie season to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference in 2023-24. Giddey was benched during a second-round series against the Dallas Mavericks that year, in part because he couldn't space the floor.
But he thrived in a new environment with the Bulls, operating a new system under head coach Billy Donovan. He went from trending toward draft bust to potential franchise cornerstone. And he's still only 22 years old.
Josh Giddey is developing into a well-rounded offensive player
Giddey has always been an elite passer, but without a shot worth paying attention to, defenses sagged off him and clogged the lane. Not only did that bog down his team's offense, but it also prevented him from using that elite skill in half-court settings. At his size, he should be a strong finisher at the rim, but he's never been much above average. He was more or less a spot-up shooter who couldn't shoot.
As The Ringer's Zach Lowe points out in his latest edition of The Zach Lowe Podcast, that all means Giddey needs the "absolutely perfect ecosystem" to thrive.
If the Giddey we saw at the end of last season is for real, that scouting report will have to evolve.
The Melbourne native shot 38.4 percent on catch-and-shoot threes in 2024-25. In his final 41 games (half a full season), he took 162 total triples and shot 42.6 percent. A majority of those makes came when he was wide open, but that's not a small sample size, and threatening a defense from behind the arc in any capacity is a major boost to both Giddey and the Bulls.
Lowe noted how it's incumbent on a coach to scheme an offense around their best players, and Giddey isn't short on skills. Not counting his improved shooting stroke, he's big enough to set screens and score against smaller defenders, and his uber-high IQ ties everything together. He can read the floor, make proper cuts, and knows where to go and what to do.
He's starting to become more aggressive in attacking the basket, as well -- post-All-Star break, he got to the free-throw line nearly six times per game, up from his career average of 2.0.
Giddey just finished year one in Chicago. He now has long-term security and understands he's a critical part of a franchise. He showed dramatic improvement in the back half of last season. And despite playing in 280 NBA games, he'll barely be 23 on opening night. His flaws have been easy to spot, but his strengths are getting harder to ignore.