Chicago's 22-year-old point guard stole all the headlines in March, and for good reason. Averaging nearly a triple-double since the trade deadline, he has slowly become one of the more underrated players leaguewide. With restricted free agency in a few months and an expected $30 million annual price tag, this impressive stretch only drives his bargaining power upwards. After hitting one of the most insane and improbable shots in the last decade a few nights ago, last night's performance has been humbling. The combination of elite rim-protection from Anthony Davis, lingering hangover effects from Thursday night's heroics, and cold shooting from the perimeter, Giddey was the worst player on the floor. Here's why some argue the Bulls should hesitate before unloading their largest contract since Zach LaVine.
Regrettable Performance Against The Mavericks
Josh Giddey just played his worst game for the Chicago Bulls. In three days, he has hit the most memorable shot since Derrick Rose's playoff buzzer-beater in one instance while looking entirely pedestrian while costing Chicago the opportunity to gain their tenth win in 12 tries in another. He was 3-for-12 from the field, 0-of-3 from deep, scored eight points, had four assists, lost four turnovers, and suffered a team-low -14 plus/minus. Giddey's entire career has shown that he disappears if his offensive attack isn't efficient, leading one crowd of fans to vote that the Bulls should pass on paying him a lucrative extension this summer.
MAVS 120
— AussieBallersNBA (@AussieBallinUSA) March 30, 2025
BULLS 119
JOSH GIDDEY TONIGHT
8 POINTS
8 REBS
4 ASTS
2 BLOCKS
3/9 2p (33%)
0/3 3p (0%)
2/2 ft (100%)
27 MINS pic.twitter.com/kzaA5jWajM
Lil Buzi Vert With Another Huge Night
Matas Buzelis nearly saved Giddey's poor performance with a stellar one of his own. The rookie dropped the second most points he's scored all season, 28, on an efficient 10-for-17 from the floor. Unlike Giddey, his three-point shot was falling, making five of his seven tries. He added nine rebounds and six assists to round out one of his best games in his young career. Buzelis has now poured in 31 and 28 over the last week.
Matas Buzelis tonight:
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 30, 2025
28 Points
9 Rebounds
6 Assists
10/17 FGM
5/7 3PM pic.twitter.com/Lwu2iOfP81
However, his efforts came up short thanks to a late missed free throw from Nikola Vucevic and Dalen Terry's lazy defense down the stretch. Terry was in the closing five instead of the struggling Giddey, another unacceptable sight to see if he will get $30 million yearly in his next contract. The Oklahoma City Thunder initially traded him away for the same reason. Does one horrible outing dampen the incredible stretch he and the team have been on? Lucky for him, his revenge game against the Thunder is next on the schedule, the perfect opportunity to bounce back significantly and test the new-look lineup against the best team in the entire NBA.
Does this game make you, or Chicago's front office, think twice about inking Giddey's next contract?
