Julian, at this point, looks more like a Derrick Jones, Jr. replacement which is totally fine outcome. Hopefully, he develops into a Paul George clone as the years roll onward.
Dalen is an interesting guy. He’s so raw offensively that I think he should focus this offseason on becoming an efficient shooter from 3.
I accept the premise that White and Giddey can play together. I would then suggest the relationship between AKME and Zach LaVine be re-evaluated with the goal of riding out the remainder of his contract. Giddy, White, and LaVine playing with tempo would unlock a formidable offense in the same vein of the Pacers assuming Patrick Williams returns, too.
AKME pivoting to a run & gun, high tempo offense with Giddy, White, LaVine, Ayo, Dalen, Patrick, Julian, and whoever the 2024 draft selection playing the majority of the minutes would be something I could get behind.
I respect this analysis.
I’m interested to see how much of what you’ve uncovered in the stats plays out on the court.
However, my biggest overall takeaway is not about Giddy himself, but rather AKME’s opinion of Coby White. I initially viewed this trade in the context of Giddy playing alongside White, not the opposite.
Coby earned my respect last season. He should’ve earned the respect of AKME, too, imo. If I were Coby, I would have significant reservations about being moved off ball for Giddy, especially since he’s not a shooter or defender at the moment. That’s something to keep a close eye on.
Finally, Jason Kidd and Ben Simmons were elite defenders at the point of attack, in a team concept, etc. Giddy is a traffic cone. If Giddy is going to be the focal point of the offense then the entire roster needs to be transformed to hide him on defense as much as possible. I’m thinking long-term. In a playoff setting, Giddy will have to guard Giannis, Tatum, Brown, Maxey, etc. for years to come.
This breakdown of Giddy’s positives is marvelous. However, there are some serious concerns still.
Of the seven players mentioned who have a similar statical profile as Giddy, five of them (SGA, Harden, Luka, Mitchell, Fox) are dynamic scorers off the bounce, can take and make 3s off the dribble, can make catch and shoot 3s, and can get to the rim to score, get fouled, and find open teammates. Is Giddy going to become an elite playmaker AND an efficient/high volume scorer in Chicago when he wasn’t at all in OKC?
Those same five listed are high usage players. Is the plan really to install Giddy as the point guard/point forward where he will orchestrate the lion-share of the offense?
Giddy is a below average three-point shooter, a below average post-up threat, and is not a dominant offensive rebounder. How can the offense (and the overall floor spacing) thrive when the ball leaves his hands whenever he’s on the court?
Five of the six guys who have a similar statical background to Giddy are the number one options on offense for their respective teams with rosters built around their styles of play. Is Giddy going to be the focal point of the Bulls moving forward?
Only Scottie Barnes qualifies as a high level, multifaceted defender on the list of players. How likely is it that Giddy will survive on defense when elite teams target him in big games? Will his offensive game offset his defensive deficiencies?
Basically, Giddy only makes sense for the Bulls long-term if he’s going to be empowered to be their starting point guard/forward with the team’s offense centered around his passing. Maybe a bench role could be beneficial to an extent. However, it’s a huge gamble on a player who does not have the shooting touch from three, lacks athleticism, and is a traffic cone on defense. Plus, he’s going to want a contract extension in a year.
Kel’el Ware would be my pick. The Bulls have a crowded guard room as it is and whoever is this year’s pick should be given every opportunity to play as early as possible. Ware would benefit from watching Vooch, too.
100% agree. If we look at all of the guys AKME brought in they all fit the same profile:
- Hard working
- High energy/motor
- Active defenders who can defend multiple positions
- Coachable
- Good to really good athletes
- High character
- High basketball IQ
- Long armed
- Really young
Coby, Ayo, Julian, Pat in the starting five would be ideal in the modern NBA if they all reach even the top 50 percent of their respective potentials.
Any perceived issues with the Bulls’ current roster depends entirely on our collectives projections for the young players currently on the roster. Say no meaningful roster changes take place. Okay. Does anyone believe Dalen Terry will become a starting caliber guard? Will Patrick Williams realize his All Star potential starting next season? Will Coby White or Ayo Dosunmu become All Stars starting next season? Will Julian Philips become a key role player? Can the Bulls find an impact player in this upcoming draft?
How we respond to these questions colors our expectations. If we don’t want to “run it back” that means to me that we view Dalen, Patrick, Julian, etc. as failures which may be too early to determine.
Zach’s trade value is murky to say the least given his injury history and that he’s owed at least $120M over the next three seasons. However, because there’s only a few All-Star caliber wings who will be available, under contract, under 30 years old, LaVine should be worth at least one first round pick and about two seconds, maybe more. There’s only a few players in this free agent class who offer the same (or better level) of shooting and scoring that LaVine does.
If Patrick can stay healthy, significantly improve his handles, and have a featured role in the offense he will reach his all star potential.
[Shams Charania] Patrick Williams intends to sign a five-year, $90 million deal to return to the Chicago Bulls, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
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