Josh Giddey is putting up impressive all-around numbers on offense. But has he done enough on defense to start building a case for All-Star status this season?
Second-year forward Matas Buzelis might have the highest ceiling among the young Bulls, but he’s still going through growing pains. Guard Coby White, their best pure scorer, has yet to play — sidelined since August with a strained right calf.
That has allowed Giddey, 23, to pick up where he left off late last season, helping to lead the team to a somewhat surprising 6-4 start. But it’s not clear if he’ll have All-Star momentum as long as he’s in the crosshairs of teams such as the Cavaliers (7-4), who poked holes in his defense late in the Bulls’ 128-122 loss Saturday night.
“He’s gotten better,” coach Billy Donovan said. “Josh has always been a pretty physical guy. The one area I think he’s gotten really good at is when we’ve played him on big forwards or guys with length. He’s done a pretty good job handling those guys.
“Against any player where it’s in space, [where] the guy can really put it down and drive it, those are areas where it can’t be all on him. We’ve got to show some help and put bodies there. But he’s got to be able to contain the basketball. I do think when somebody gets targeted, generally it’s the initial part of the target that he’s got to get better at. I do feel like he’s made some really positive strides there.”
All-Star strides? Whether Giddey gets there or not, it’s clear someone on the team needs to step up — and fast. The Bulls may have depth and a strong offensive system, but three straight losses have shown that what they’re missing at the ends of close games is “that dude.”
The Bucks have star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, whom the Bulls had no answer for as he scored 19 points in the fourth quarter Friday. The next night, six-time All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell scored 13 of his 29 points in crunch time in the Cavs’ win. And on Monday, Spurs center Victor Wembanyama scored 18 of his 38 in the fourth quarter as the Bulls fell 121-117 at the United Center.
With just over a minute left, the Spurs, down by three, put the ball in Wembanyama’s hands and spread the floor. Had the Bulls tried to blitz him or attack him with a double-team, he likely would have rotated the ball for an open shot. Maybe that would have been better. With Nikola Vucevic on him and playing solid defense, Wembanyama hit a three-pointer with a minute left and another with 27.9 seconds left.
“Obviously, he’s very unique with his height, his ability to pretty much play like a wing, body of a big man,” Vucevic said. “Just a tough matchup, especially when he gets it going like he did [Monday].”
Who on the Bulls can get it going like that?
Maybe their strength is their up-tempo system itself. Unfortunately, elite NBA players find ways to neutralize a lot of systems, especially in the postseason.
Fortunately for the Bulls, the season is just 10 games old. Buzelis is learning, White is getting healthy and Giddey is improving on both ends.
Will one of them become the All-Star the Bulls need? This team can only hope.
