Josh Giddey is riding a post All-Star break high.
The proof is in the near triple-double he’s averaging in his eight games since.
“He’s been really good at playing to his strengths,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “He’s really balanced his ability to pass the ball and then his ability to score. The shots he’s getting and generating, the shots he’s looking to take are higher quality shots for him.”
Instead of settling for tough shots below the free-throw line, Giddey has used his size to position himself deeper in the lane. Donovan also attributed his improved scoring output to catch and shoot opportunities from behind the arc.
In Giddey’s first 51 games with the Bulls, he was shooting 44.6% from the field and 34.5% from three. The sample size is small, but since the break those averages have improved to 50.8% from the field and 54.3% from deep.
Josh Giddey is averaging 23.1 points, 11 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game since the Bulls returned to play on Feb. 20.
What’s waiting for Giddey on the other side of this season is restricted free agency. Last month, Giddey told the Sun-Times he was, of course, thinking about his value as a free agent, but he said those thoughts weren’t driving his play.
As a restricted free agent, the Bulls will have the right of first refusal. Over the next 17 games, regardless of what Giddey says publicly, he’ll have an opportunity to drive up his price.
“I don’t know where the conversations are, you know, beforethe season started with him having that extension and then here it’s at now,” Donovan said. “I haven’t really talked to the front office about it. I’ll let them handle that. Certainly have had conversations with Josh about it. But I think the idea of trading for him and having him come here was going to be for him to be here on an extended period of time.”
Of course, the execution of a contract takes two contributing parties and Dononvan made it a point to highlight that. But he also emphasized Giddey’s value with the organization.
“Everybody here feels good about Josh as a player,” Donovan said. “What he’s been able to do and hopefully what he can continue to do.”
**The Bigs**
Nikola Vucevic and Patrick Williams were both available against the Pacers after missing an extended period of time. Vucevic was out with a right calf strain and Williams with right quadriceps tendionosis.
Both were on a minutes restriction against the Pacers, but for the remainder of the season — assuming they remain healthy — Donovan will be tasked with determining how best to use his three bigs. Zach Collins arrived as part of the trade package for Zach LaVine. Five games later, Williams went down and Vucevic was ruled out two games after the Bulls returned from the All-Star break.
Stylistically, Donovan has expressed slowing his team’s pace with two bigs on the court is not something he’s leaning toward.
“We have to look at are there teams we could potentially play where we need two bigs,” Donovan said. “The only apprehension I would have with that would be does it get in the way stylistically of how we play? I don’t know that, and I also don’t want to pass judgment on those three guys that two of the three can’t play together without even looking at practice or if a game presents itself. I don’t see us playing extended minutes like that.”