In difficulty this season, and even sent to the bench in the playoffs, Josh Giddey needed a change of scenery, and at 21, he arrived at the Bulls. Swapped for Alex Caruso, the young Australian confirmed he asked to leave, determined not to come off the bench.
“I just told Sam Presti that at this stage of my career, at 21, it wasn’t something I really wanted to do.”, confirms Giddey. “ He totally understood that and throughout the whole process we were open and honest with each other…. He understood that. We worked together throughout the whole process and he put me in the right place. There was nothing negative… It’s just that the Thunder is too good, with a lot of players who can get the ball in their hands. I had to adapt and learn to do something else. »
Make it easier for others to play
This “good place” is Chicago where Giddey has the opportunity to have the keys to the truck. Lonzo Ball remains convalescing, and the Australian thinks he can explode at the Bulls.
“It was going to be difficult to realize my full potential, in my opinion, on a team like OKC with so many talented guys who needed the ball in their hands, and were great with the ball in their hands,” Giddey continued. “A change of scenery might allow me to do more. I pride myself on being able to make the game easy for everybody, being able to get guys involved, distribute the ball and give the other guys confidence around me. And it’s hard to do that in a role where the ball’s not in your hands a lot. … That’s probably the biggest thing for me coming in here. I want to be the playmaker who prioritizes the pass.”
And what does he think of his new training, where uncertainties remain since DeMar DeRozan is a free agent, and Zach LaVine is offered everywhere! “It’s a very talented team. From the first to the last player, he assures. “Obviously Zach, Demar… Coby was great, and he really came out last year. Pat Williams, and then the young guys… There’s a lot of talent on this team. I’m looking forward to getting in there, trying to fit in with this team. I’m not going to take anything away from anybody, but I’m going to help this team continue to grow and get better.”
