Josh Giddey is playing like a legitimate All-Star for the Chicago Bulls, proving that last year's late-season surge was no fluke. His performance in a historic 113-111 come-from-behind victory over the Philadelphia 76ers may have been his most impressive in a Bulls uniform -- and the final piece of evidence needed to show Chicago's front office made the right call in acquiring him from the Oklahoma City Thunder straight up for Alex Caruso.
Chicago erased a 24-point deficit to complete the franchise's largest comeback win since 2021 behind Giddey's 29-point, 15-rebound, 12-assist gem. Thirteen of those points came in the second half. His final assist came on a high-difficulty left-handed toss from under the rim straight into the shooting pocket of Nikola Vucevic, who drained a dramatic game-winning buzzer beater.
The Bulls own the best record in the Eastern Conference, and Giddey has been their catalyst. It's time to put any conversation questioning the decision to deal away Caruso to bed. For good.
Josh Giddey-Alex Caruso trade is a clear win for the Chicago Bulls
Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas acquired Giddey from Oklahoma City in a 1-for-1 deal that sent Caruso to the Thunder -- where he promptly helped them win a championship.
At the time, it was fair to question Karnisovas's inability to land at least one first-round pick, or at least a few seconds, from a pick-laden OKC organization. Perhaps it's still fair to believe the Bulls got short-changed; Giddey was a distressed asset that Thunder General Manager Sam Presti was moving on from that summer, regardless of where he sent him or for what return. But at this point, it doesn't matter.
Giddey thrived at the helm of Head Coach Billy Donovan's up-tempo run-and-gun offensive scheme. After the All-Star break last year, the 23-year-old averaged 21.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 9.3 assists while shooting 45.7 percent from three. He had five triple-doubles in his 19 games over that stretch.
This year, he's averaging 23.1 points, 10.0 rebounds and 9.1 assists. He's hitting 41.9 percent of his 4.4 3-pointers per game, both of which blow past his previous career bests. He posted back-to-back triple-doubles against the New York Knicks and the 76ers, becoming the first Bulls player to do that since Michael Jordan. He's been Chicago's unquestioned leader, go-to scorer, most critical player, and, simply, its best player. The Bulls have looked to him in crunch time, and he's delivered.
He still has plenty of doubters to silence, and he won't do it until he proves this run isn't just a hot streak. At this point, though, Giddey looks like a genuine All-Star. And at this point, it's no longer debatable that a once-questionable trade is an absolute win for Karnisovas and the Bulls.