NEWSLETTER
Sporting a Chicago Bulls t-shirt in front of the team’s typical backdrop, Josh Giddey looked comfortable.
The 21-year-old jumbo guard joined the organization via a direct swap for two-time All-Defensive Team member Alex Caruso. The deal marked the Chicago Bulls’ first player trade in roughly 34 months. With that being the case, Giddey already represented a drastic shift for the franchise. But this only felt more like the case after his inaugural press conference.
Giddey’s transparent and reflective demeanor was immediately noticeable (and refreshing). Not only did he look genuinely excited to have a change of scenery, but he didn’t shy away from explaining precisely why that was the case. While the entire media availability is worth a watch, let’s go through some of the quotes that stood out to most.
Josh Giddey’s Honest Presser
“Obviously, I came off a tough year. My role shifted a little bit. I was playing a lot more off-ball and kind of a different role than I’ve ever done in my career. So there was no secret that it was going to take some flexibility on my part to fit in with the team that we had, and the structure that we had, and the type of players that we had.
He spoke to me about looking into potentially different roles. Coming off the bench, running the second unit, stuff like that. And I just said to him, at this point in my career, I’m 21 years old, it wasn’t something that I was overly eager to do. And he completely understood. Just throughout the whole process, we were open and honest with each other.”
GM Sam Presti shared in his statement regarding the Alex Caruso acquisition that Josh Giddey didn’t love the idea of stepping into a reserve role next season. This raised some red flags for a handful of fans/analysts, especially considering all the success the Thunder experienced this season. Why wouldn’t Giddey want to be a part of that?
However, what Giddey explains here comes off as honest and fair. The six-foot-eight facilitator knew he wanted to be somewhere that provided him with a better opportunity to develop his game. So does that mean Giddey expects to start in Chicago? Well, if so, he didn’t share that. Giddey instead pointed out the several talented guards on the Bulls roster and assured everyone he was excited about the competition. He also shared that the Bulls had yet to speak with him about his specific role, which didn’t appear to concern him.
“It was more so our team got so good and there were multiple players who could handle the ball and do different things. So I had to adjust. I had to learn different things. When you’re in the midst of it, it’s hard to see the light. But looking back at it now, it probably taught me a lot of lessons that I needed for a young player early in their career and how to adapt to different environments. When you’re going through it in the season, it felt like such a struggle and a grind. But when you reflect on it weeks and months after the season is done, there are a lot of good things to take away from it.”
I can understand how Josh Giddey’s reluctance to join the second unit can make him sound like someone unwilling to embrace change. But that’s the opposite of how he came off on Tuesday afternoon. He commented multiple times on how the different roles he was asked to fill this season taught him a lot about how to be a more versatile player. I respect him for admitting that adapting to the new responsibilities wasn’t easy but that he learned a lot from it.
“I’ve dreamt of that moment for so long, so for it to end the way it did, it kind of left a sour taste in my mouth for a long time … And it just showed me there are so many things I have to work on to be valuable in those moments.
These are the lessons I’d rather learn now as a young kid in my career as opposed to later in my career when it’s the first time I’ve experienced playoff action and I don’t know what to expect. It was probably a blessing in disguise for me. It taught me what I need to work on. How I need to get better. Obviously, shooting is a big one. But also the defensive end. I think coming into this offseason a switch just flipped in my mind, and I just realized to be at the highest level, you’ve got to really compete at that end. You got to be able to sit down guard guys. That’s a side of the ball I want to take pride in.”
Another extremely self-aware comment by Josh Giddey. You can tell he’s already examined his underwhelming playoff performance, which resulted in OKC having to bench him in the final two games of their second-round series with Dallas. The biggest issues were both his lack of 3-point shooting and his defensive IQ, which is precisely why it was encouraging to hear him mention each on his own.
If you’re the Bulls, this is exactly the kind of mentality you want Giddey to have coming into Chicago. He understands his deficiencies and comes off as someone hungry to right the wrongs. Not many players – especially those as young as Giddey – are capable of looking themselves in the mirror in this way. Of course, the true test will be whether or not we see actual on-court improvement, but it’s meaningful that he’s holding himself this accountable.
“My job is to just make the game easy for everybody else. And that’s kind of what I want to do. Come in make sure guys get easy looks, make sure guys feel confident on the floor.”
Josh Giddey knows he needs to improve, but he also knows where he’s at his best. One of the top young playmakers in the league, the Bulls have desperately needed someone who can set the table like him. Every team needs a facilitator who can control the pace of play, and this is exactly what Giddey can offer. Especially when we consider what Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu can do in transition and as catch-and-shoot threats, adding someone like Giddey could only help with their continued ascension.
“One of my favorite things I’m most excited about is playing in the United Center in front of the fans. Every time I’ve been to Chicago, to play here, the fans have been unbelievable. It’s a packed house every time regardless of what day of the week it is.”
That’s part of the problem, Josh! In all seriousness, I have to imagine playing in front of a Chicago crowd is something that every player who’s ever come through this org appreciates. Josh Giddey should be excited.
