Don't Forget Josh Giddey Also Had a Career-High for the Bulls And Even Made History

Matas Buzelis stole the show on Tuesday night in San Francisco, but he couldn't have done it without his lead guard.

As important as the second-year forward has become for the organization, Josh Giddey isn't trailing far behind. The 23-year-old inked a four-year, $100 million deal with the franchise this past summer. And, despite what the record might suggest, it feels safe to say he has lived up to that lofty number in more ways than one.

Earlier this week, we discussed Giddey's continued growth behind the arc. He has fixed his most glaring weakness by shooting an encouraging 37+ percent from downtown for a second consecutive year. However, while the improved scoring ability is essential to becoming a true core piece of a winning team, there is no doubt that his court vision will forever be his greatest attribute.

Few players in today's NBA can offer Giddey's elite distributing ability. His 8.7 dimes per game currently rank third behind only Nikola Jokic and Cade Cunningham. Even more encouraging, he is recording that career-high mark on a usage rating that ranks within only the 71st percentile. In other words, he hasn't necessarily needed to dominate possessions to stack up his assists.

Giddey is a remarkably quick and decisive passer. Can the jumbo guard occasionally force a feed? Sure, but more often than not he is making the right read at the right time. And arguably no game demonstrates that better than last night's career-high outing against the Golden State Warriors.

Josh Giddey of the Chicago Bulls — Mar 10, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) drives during overtime against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images | Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images

Giddey finished the Bulls' first OT win of the season with a career-high 17 assists. Five of those dimes were to Buzelis, who went on to score his career-high 41 points. Time and again, Giddey set his teammates up in open space. It may not have been the flashiest dime or the hardest read, but it led to an easy bucket over and over.

His best work came in the halfcourt off the bounce. Multiple times, he would briefly put the ball on the floor to draw the defense's attention before whipping a one-handed pass to an open three-point shooter or locating a weak-side cutter. Then, when the game mattered most, he tapped into Chicago's athleticism and ramped up the speed. He connected with Buzelis, Leonard Miller, and Tre Jones for several transition buckets to keep the Bulls alive.

This ability to recognize what the game needs when is just as important as being able to execute the play. All things considered, this may be what Giddey has done better than ever before this season. Whether it be attacking the basket when things get stagnant or pushing the tempo against a tired team in crunch time, his IQ continues to trend up.

Giddey is a prime example of someone who can make something very difficult look very easy. No, he doesn't do it with his explosive verticality or quick-twitch ball-handling, but rather with excellent feel and touch. Arguably, his best dime of the night came in the second quarter when coming off a Nick Richards screen. The big man proceeded to roll to the rim while Giddey jumped off one leg at the elbow. Seemingly faking like he was going to send the ball across the floor to Leonard Miller in the corner, he got Gui Santos to bite and delay his rotation. Giddey then dropped a beautiful soft-touch pass over a jumping Al Horford for the wide-open Richards dunk.

You also have to recognize his perfect placement of the ball in the open floor. Twice in transition, we watched Giddey toss it perfectly ahead of a teammate, allowing them to continue their momentum and fly right past the Warriors' defense for the score. Again, it may not look special in the moment, but that's actually what makes it so special.

No one is declaring Giddey the Bulls' saving grace, but does he have to be to become a worthwhile part of their future? All Chicago really needs from him is to be the kind of floor general who can knock down open shots and make those around him better. Giddey is showing that he can do precisely that this season, which is undoubtedly a silver lining for the Bulls amid another lost season.

Josh Giddey Makes Some History ...

Mar 8, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) controls the ball against the Sacramento Kings during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

Josh Giddey's career-high night came alongside an even bigger accomplishment. By adding 21 points and 13 rebounds to the board, he had his third triple-double in the last four games and brought his career total to 28.

The young Bull now ranks in the Top 20 all-time in NBA triple-doubles. Coincidentally, he is tied in that spot with franchise legend and six-time champ Michael Jordan. The next player to match is Grant Hill, who sits only one spot ahead with 29.

Giddey is one of only ten active players to rank Top 20 in triple-doubles, joining Ben Simmons, Draymond Green, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Domantas Sabonis, James Harden, Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, and Russell Westbrook. Giddey is by far the youngest of the group.

Of course, the win-loss column is always going to matter more than the stat sheet. But there is also a reason why so many of those names above have achieved great things. Giddey's well-rounded skill set is incredibly rare and gives him a great foundation to continue to build upon moving forward.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on X for the latest news