CHICAGO (USA) - Josh Giddey is one of four players to have 400 points, 250 rebounds, and 225 assists four months into the NBA campaign. That fact becomes even more impressive when you consider USA's LeBron James (LA Lakers), Serbia's Nikola Jokic (Denver) and Lithuania's Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento) are the other three.
Elite company. A very positive note to end a very challenging year 2024 for the Boomer.
Josh Giddey's future biography will devote a lot of pages to 2024 because it's going to end up being a seminal year in his career.
Has the adversity encountered in 2024 signaled a downturn in fortunes for the Australian, or will it end up making him stronger? Giddey lost playing time with Oklahoma City and the Thunder, in June, traded him to the Chicago Bulls.
Then with Australia at arguably the most competitive Olympics of all time in France, Giddey and the Boomers fell after overtime to Serbia in the Quarter-Finals, ending their medal hopes.
Giddey, immediately after, teared up while speaking to Australian TV.
"We put ourselves in a great position to win that game (against Serbia) and we come up short like that in overtime," he said to Australia TV Channel 9. "It's heartbreaking.
"And it kills me that I have to wait four more years for another chance at this.
"But man, I'm so proud of this group. I love this team. Our coaches, our fans. They deserved a lot better than this."
Giddey and Co led 90-89 with just over a minute left in overtime, yet Jokic scored to put Serbia on top to stay.
"Every possession matters and it can go so quick," Giddey said.
"We play four games and that's it, you've got to wait four years...
"I just love this team, and I believed we had the group to go all the way... this feeling sucks and it's going to hurt, but it's going to build us.
"And we'll be back in LA."
Los Angeles is hosting the 2028 Olympics, yet there is a lot of basketball to be played before then.
Right now for Giddey, that basketball is in the NBA, where he is now a Chicago Bull.
Giddey has thrived in the Windy City. Despite playing less minutes, 27.9 per game, than in Oklahoma City, at least compared to his first two seasons when he averaged 31.5 and 31.1, respectively, his assists are up, 6.7 per game compared to 6.4 as a rookie, 6.2 in year two and 4.8 last year when his minutes were cut.
Things are going so well for Giddey in Chicago that he's one of four players with LeBron, Jokic and Sabonis to have 400 points, 250 rebounds, and 225 assists four months into the campaign.
His 2.5 assists to turnover ratio is the best of his career. Giddey has a couple of triple doubles. On a negative note, Giddey has a career 3 technical fouls after picking up a combined four in his first three seasons. Then again, that may be an indicator of how badly he wants to win.
On the down side, Giddey's team has a losing record. The Bulls had 18 wins and 23 defeats after their 110-94 setback to Atlanta on July 15, yet they are 10th in the Eastern Conference, which would put them in the play-in for the post-season. Giddey's former team, Oklahoma City, is thundering away at 33-6, the best record in the Western Conference. Eastern Conference leaders Cleveland (34-5) had the best record in the NBA through July 15.
Overall, judging from the video (above) the Chicago Bulls recently put in social media, Giddey is adjusting well to his new surrounds.
Whether he remains depends on his performances for the club.
If Giddey is going to be an elite, top-level player in the NBA, he must get better and especially on defense.
After a December win over Milwaukee, when his defense led to an important turnover at the end of the game, Giddey said to the Athletic: “It’s something I've wanted to take pride in and put myself in those positions where I have to sit down and guard the ball. I've really tried to lock in on that side of the ball and make an emphasis of standing my ground and not being the weak link on that side of the ball."
Giddey's strengths are on offense but defense is where he's focusing more now.
"Some guys are naturally gifted on that side of the ball," he said. "Other guys, it requires a lot of effort, and I definitely fall into that category."
With Australia, it's not open to debate. Giddey is the man. He won the Wanda Rising Star Trophy at FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.
Last year at the Olympics, his 17.5 points and 6.0 assists per game were highest on the team, while his 29.4 minutes per game were second only to Pat Mills' 30.9.
The good news for Giddey is that he won't have to wait until 2028 to play for his country again. The Boomers will go for glory before then at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 in Qatar.
FIBA