It's not every night that Nikola Vucevic takes off (by a few centimeters) for a lobbed pass but this night, against the Nets, the Montenegrin was stuffed with good balls by Josh Giddey.
The former Thunder leader still messed up a lot (5 lost balls) and missed the target a lot (1 of 8 from 3-point range), but he signed his first triple-double with the Bulls: 20 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists . It's his 12th career, and it will do his morale good after a mixed first quarter of the season.
“It was nice” reacts the Australian about his performance. “The guys made it easy for me. We played as we should. I was able to play forward. The guys made their shots, they went to the circle. We did it together, and it will have to be like this every night. »
Better automation
Present on the rebound, Josh Giddey acted as a launching pad against the Nets short of juice, but it was also he who combined well on the pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop with Nikola Vucevic. For Stacey King, who comments on Bulls matches, the players are starting to better understand the type of leader that Josh Giddey is.
“The automation is starting to look really good. They're starting to understand when he's going to dribble and when he's going to pass, and their hands are ready.” explains Michael Jordan's former teammate.
Last night, in addition to Nikola Vucevic, Matas Buzelis (20 points) was the one who best read the Australian leader's game, whether on quick plays or in his 3-point placements. By going to get him from OKC, the managers wanted to bring creativity, and this night, Billy Donovan lined up, together, for a few minutes Josh Giddey and Lonzo Ball, and that needs to be tested against an opponent of another caliber .
| Josh Giddey | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2021-22 | OKC | 54 | 32 | 41.9 | 26.3 | 70.9 | 1.8 | 6.0 | 7.8 | 6.4 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 3.2 | 0.4 | 12.5 |
| 2022-23 | OKC | 76 | 31 | 48.2 | 32.5 | 73.1 | 1.9 | 5.9 | 7.9 | 6.2 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 2.8 | 0.4 | 16.6 |
| 2023-24 | OKC | 80 | 25 | 47.5 | 33.7 | 80.6 | 1.4 | 5.0 | 6.4 | 4.8 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 12.3 |
| 2024-25 | CHI | 21 | 27 | 43.8 | 36.1 | 71.7 | 1.3 | 4.7 | 6.0 | 6.7 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 11.7 |
| Total | 231 | 29 | 46.2 | 31.5 | 74.8 | 1.7 | 5.5 | 7.2 | 5.8 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 13.7 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
