The Chicago Bulls are aiming for a home run after trading Alex Caruso to the Thunder for Josh Giddey.
Regardless of what happens with Giddey, the Bulls should have received more because they walked away from the deal with a problematic young player on an expiring contract and no draft picks attached.
The Chicago Bulls are aiming for a home run after trading Alex Caruso to the Thunder for Josh Giddey.
Regardless of what happens with Giddey, the Bulls should have received more because they walked away from the deal with a problematic young player on an expiring contract and no draft picks attached.
Giddey should at least improve his stats in a larger role, with no MVP candidate to share the ball with and a solid opportunity to be the starting point guard.
So, what is his floor for the future? What’s his ceiling?
Josh Giddey’s floor: Michael Carter-Williams.
When there is a tall point guard who can’t shoot, the Michael Carter-Williams comparisons begin, but people forget that, like Giddey, MCW had a promising start to his career.
However, injuries and his inability to shoot rendered him a burden, which is what Giddey may face if he does not improve his jumper.
The Bulls already gambled heavily on Patrick Williams, and Giddey will be in line for a much larger contract, especially if he averages close to a triple double, which is probable.
However, if he does it inefficiently and is unable to participate in the playoffs, the Bulls risk investing excessively in a player with fatal weaknesses.
Josh Giddey’s ceiling: Jason Kidd.
A large point guard who can do everything except shoot. Sounds similar to Jason Kidd, who was one of the most productive point guards in league history despite not being a strong shooter until the conclusion of his career.
Kidd once finished second in the MVP voting while shooting under 40 percent from the floor, something I am not sure could happen in the modern game.
But Kidd did everything else so well it didn’t matter, as he was a walking triple double who led the league in assists five times and was a great rebounder for the position.
If you compare Giddey and Kidd’s first three seasons in the league, their stats are nearly identical with one big caveat: Defense.
Kidd averaged over two steals per game for most of his career and was an elite defender who made the All-Defensive team eight times.
Like Giddey, Kidd was not a jump-out-of-the-gym athlete but used his size and strength to get to his spots. He also had one of the highest basketball IQs in league history, which is why he is now a coach.
For Giddey to get away with not being a great shooter, he has to be like Kidd, which is be excellent at everything else, including defense, where Giddey is currently a liability.
He has a ton of work to do on that end to get anywhere near Kidd, and even if he does, it’s unclear whether a point guard who can’t shoot can really thrive in the modern NBA where shooting has become a priority.
Giddey will likely fall somewhere in the meaty middle ground between the two extremes, but he’s young enough to still have boom or bust potential.
He has played well in the Olympics so far, hopefully a preview of what we’ll see in Chicago in a bigger role.
