Playmaker. Rebounder. Improved shooter. And after Friday night, Bulls guard Josh Giddey can add another title to his LinkedIn profile: motivational speaker/assistant coach.
That’s the role he took on in an 121-114 victory over the Magic at the United Center, talking with teammates on the bench and during timeouts while he’s sidelined for at least 10 more days with a strained left hamstring he’s waiting to have reevaluated.
Giddey and guard Coby White (calf) were both injured Monday night in a rout by the Timberwolves. The Bulls (17-17) are now 2-0 without their starting backcourt.
“No one really likes sitting and watching,” said Giddey, who’s going through the rehabilitation process. “I mean, I don’t like being injured, but I guess it gives you perspective on things. You get to see things you usually don’t see, compared to when you’re out there on the court playing.
“For me, I can work on getting stronger in the gym. You never want to be hurt, but there are some blessings you can find in it. Instead of being upset and sad about it, you can find ways to impact the team, be vocal in huddles, talking to guys, seeing a game through a different lens. That’s one of the ways I’m trying to approach it.”
Is it adding value? It definitely doesn’t seem to be hurting. With 8:48 left and the game tied at 100-100 during a timeout, Giddey was pulling teammates aside before coach Billy Donovan gathered them for further instruction. Whatever they said worked, as the Bulls went on a 15-10 run over the next six-plus minutes. Magic forward Paolo Banchero (game-high 31 points) made it a three-point game with 1:45 left, but Bulls guard Tre Jones hit a huge 16-footer with 41.9 seconds left to stretch the lead back to five.
Former Bull Wendell Carter Jr. hit two free throws with 27.9 seconds left, leading to another Bulls timeout, during which Giddey nervously chewed his fingernails. Forward Matas Buzelis then made two free throws, and guard Isaac Okoro iced the game with a last-second dunk.
No wonder Giddey can’t wait to get back.
“The symptoms go away, and you feel like you can do everything, and that’s when you’re at risk of restraining [the hamstring],” he said. “[I’m] just being careful, being safe, but doing what it takes to get back as soon as possible.”
In the meantime, teammates are holding down the fort. Buzelis finished with 21 points with a career-high seven assists. Guard Kevin Huerter had 20 points off the bench.
The highlight of the night came with 7:30 left in the second quarter, as Buzelis picked up a loose ball in the open floor with only Magic guard Jalen Suggs between him and the rim. Suggs went up, Buzelis went up higher, cocked his right arm back and delivered a posterizing dunk as Suggs backpedaled in defeat.
“I don’t know. I just did it,” Buzelis said of his slam.
Even Donovan was impressed, as much as a slam can impress a coach.
“[It] was phenomenal, it was unbelievable, but it was only worth two points,” Donovan said. “The seven assists, the rebounding — that was so much more valuable to our team. I loved watching it for a second. . . . That’s just his athletic ability and talent. It’s the other things he’s doing that’s impacting winning.”