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Josh Giddey Reportedly Wants Big Money…Can He Make It in First Year in Chicago?

Josh Giddey Reportedly Wants Big Money…Can He Make It in First Year in Chicago?

A new report surfaced this morning from NBA insider Jake Fischer that new Bulls guard Josh Giddey is seeking more than $30 million per year on his next contract. Is he worth that much? The answer right now is no, probably not. But the good news is that Chicago doesn’t have to make that decision today. They will do their due diligence on Giddey this season and see what kind of player they have in him.

So what does he have to do to get the $30 million in AAV he says he wants? I think the answer is pretty simple and straightforward – he needs to incorporate the three-point shot into his game. I’m not saying he has to transform into a 40 percent shooter from deep overnight. Giddey does a lot of things really well. He rebounds, he passes, he can run offense, but last year he was exposed for his inability to make open jump shots. Heck, down the stretch and in the playoffs, teams left him open and challenged him for threes.

If Giddey wants to get paid, we need to make sure that percentage stays at around 35%. He doesn’t have to be the best shooter on the team, but he has to prove that he needs to be respected, at least from the outside.

He also needs to improve a bit defensively. Nobody will confuse him with Alex Caruso, but defense is all about desire and effort. Sure, there are instincts and natural talent factors, but defense is one thing that can be greatly improved through hard work.

Can Giddey get there? I hope so. I hope we talk about him getting money for Immanuel Quickley because that means he’s cleaned up the areas of his game the Bulls need from him and his season in Chicago was a success. However, if he doesn’t, then we’re looking at a failed attempt by the front office to move an asset in Alex Caruso without getting any draft compensation back.

Josh Giddey 2023-24 Stats (80 Games)

MIN PTS BRANCH REB FG% 3P% TOV
Josh Giddey 25.1 12.3 4.8 6.4 47.5 33.7 2.1

If one thing is certain, the Chicago Bulls have brought in someone who can impact multiple areas of the box score. Josh Giddey provides a rare feel for the game at the young age of 22. While he may not be the most explosive athletically, he has strong ball handling and excellent passing instincts. He averaged at least 6.9 assists per 36 minutes in each of his first three seasons. Equally encouraging, Giddey continues to be an active participant on the glass. He is not afraid to fight for defensive lines or keep attacking surfaces alive with his height of 1.80 meters.

Still, Giddey’s 2023-24 stats saw a decline in almost every aspect. The guard experienced a drastic role change that resulted in him playing a lot more off the ball. We saw his minutes per contest drop by almost 6 minutes, while his assist numbers increased from just over 6.0 per game in his first two years to 4.8. Giddey also averaged 16.6 points per night during the 2022-23 season, compared to 12.3 per game last season.

We expect most of those numbers to increase this season as the Bulls look to see if Giddey can play the role of their future point guard. In my opinion, the two most important numbers the guard should keep an eye on are his 3-point shooting percentage and his turnover numbers.

Although Giddey’s behind-the-scenes clip has improved each year, these improvements have been minor at best. In order for his game to really develop the way the Bulls want, he has to at least become respectable from deep. When it comes to turnovers, as talented as Giddey is as a distributor, he can be way too loose with the basketball. There will be some growing pains as he tries to get to know his new teammates, but the Bulls will want their future primary ballplayer to limit risky mistakes.

Josh Giddey’s On/Off

Josh Giddey struggled to put together a winning performance during his time in Oklahoma City. This is also partly due to the fact that OKC was in a rebuilding phase. We all know that development was largely a priority in Giddey’s first two seasons.

Still, the on/off stats at both ends of the floor leave a lot to be desired. According to Cleaning the Glass, Giddey finished last season with an efficiency differential of just -1.7. Of course, this was finally an improvement over his staggering -8.2 efficiency differential in 2022-23, which was in the league’s 13th percentile. However, the role Giddey played in 2022-23 will far more reflect the role he will play in Chicago this year, so take that as you will.

Giddey was a negative player offensively in his first two seasons before finishing +0.8 in a limited role last season. For someone whose value lies primarily in offense with his potential as a facilitator and goalscorer, you’re certainly hoping for a big improvement this year.

© David Richard-Imagn Images

What to Look Forward to Most: Dimes, Duh!

If I haven’t made it clear yet, it’s Josh Giddey’s playmaking potential that makes him such an enticing candidate. Few players his age have the same vision or instincts as him. He will feel outside of the game and control the pace of the game accordingly. Do you need to stay one step ahead of the defense in transition? Giddey can do that. Do you need to slow down a bit in crunch time and set up the drive-and-kick? Giddeys got it. For a Bulls team that has operated with such a one-dimensional offense in recent years, the jumbo guard will be a breath of fresh air.

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What to worry about most: Defense

Despite Josh Giddey’s classy 6’3″ frame, the guard has been pretty stiff defensively since entering the league.

One reason for this is the lack of raw athleticism. Giddey isn’t particularly light on his feet or nervous, which can result in smaller perimeter guards flying right past him. He also sometimes reacts very slowly when turning or avoiding the shooters. The Bulls’ backcourt defense appears to be extremely ugly with Giddey playing alongside Zach LaVine and Coby White. And unless the Guard can show real progress in this regard this year, this will remain a long-standing problem.

The good news is that Giddey has already mentioned defense as an area he wants to improve. During his first discussion with Bulls reporters, he was the one who mentioned that end of the floor as a real priority.

“It was probably a blessing for me,” Josh Giddey said of his third year in OKC. “It showed me what I need to work on. How I need to get better. Obviously shooting is a big issue. But also the defensive end. I think there was a shift in my head at the start of this offseason and I realized that to be at the highest level, you really have to be competitive at that end. You have to be able to keep watch. That’s a side of the ball I want to be proud of.”

An honorable mention for the thing that worries us most… Giddey’s interior design. For someone with a strong upper body and skilled ball handling, you want to see him shoot better than 60 percent at the rim. Yuck.