For over a hundred years, the world’s population has been captivated by the story of the Loch Ness Monster, also known as Nessie, a prehistoric creature that occupies the ancient waters of northern Scotland.
Interest in the creature peaked in 1934 when a photograph appeared that purportedly showed the head and back of the so-called monster, further fanning the flames of intrigue for decades to come.
The photo was later revealed to be a hoax, and despite a thorough investigation, all signs point to Nessie being nothing more than a mere myth.
That’s not all that different from seeing Josh Giddey as a true NBA point guard.
Despite years of debate and some shaky evidence occasionally caught on film, Giddey’s ability to handle the position remains a folktale at best.
Since entering the NBA in 2021, the Australian has been considered a Magic Johnson Lite type, with the only similarities being his 6-foot height and rebounding ability.
That… isn’t exactly enough evidence to still buy into the idea of Giddey as a true guardian. And that realization by Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti was what eventually made him available via trade, when he was sent to the Chicago Bulls for Alex Caruso, a trade that remains heavily maligned because of how favorable it was to the Thunder.
In fact, there is more evidence to suggest that Giddey should be trying to turn things around. His struggles to shoot off the dribble is just one example, but it’s already so problematic that it’s hard to imagine him ever becoming a lead guard.
His release is slow and his shooting motion is so rough that he has virtually no rhythm when he tries to shoot quickly on the move. His shot is basically a set shot and it takes ages to set up before launching. That’s fine for the gym, but when he goes up against NBA defenders, things usually change.
Giddey could turn into a decent shooter in terms of accuracy over time, but that would all have to be created by others and he would have plenty of time to fire a real shot.
Is there a world where he can increase his volume and efficiency from three-point territory? Never say never — he’s still only 22 — but he’ll have to rebuild the entire foundation of his shooting, and that’s a process that will take years, with the end result being a big, nasty question mark. He made just 741 career 3-pointers in about 6,500 minutes. That’s ridiculously low for an NBA guard in this modern era, averaging around 3.3 per game. By any measure, a guard that has those few 3s just isn’t a big enough threat to be guarded from here.
Speaking of slow, that also applies to Giddey’s defensive timing, as he isn’t exactly athletic. When he was guarding a player like Darius Garland, which he did on NBA Cup night Friday night, Giddey might as well have been a fraud himself, as Garland, who beat him relentlessly, didn’t seem to even register his presence. whenever he wanted.
Now, Giddey does a decent job rebounding the ball and knows how to make quality passes. There is an interesting component to his grab-and-go potential where he crashes the defensive glass and moves the ball down the court to teammates who have escaped.
Unfortunately, since he occupies one of the guard spots, the players in front of him are usually bigger and taller, taking a minute to get around the court.
The idea of Giddey finishing these games on his own is also more theoretical than practical, given his lack of athletic pop. When you challenge players near the rim, Giddey simply lacks the athleticism and strength to convert or draw a significant amount of fouls. He takes just 1.7 free throws a night for his career and has a 14% free throw rate, which means he has only a 14% chance of getting to the foul line per field goal attempt.
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To summarize, Giddey is not a strong shooter or shooter in general. His defense against enemy guards is too slow and too ineffective. He can rebound and pass well as someone who is 6-8, but he doesn’t do it enough to justify his position.
The solution?
There is a real argument to be made that Giddey should move to power.
First, it would allow the Bulls to put another guard on the floor to take over critical game decisions. Lord knows they have plenty of options in Ayo Dosunma, Lonzo Ball and Coby White, all of whom can create more off the bounce and open up the court more with their scoring ability. Additionally, most NBA guards today can shoot off the dribble, which is another problem removed from the equation.
In terms of playmaking, there is the added benefit of having a back four that can make quality passes. Most NBA teams dream of playing most positions to unlock a toy chest of fun offensive opportunities, and as a third or fourth playmaking option, Giddey could pick his spots quite effectively. After all, he pitched 5.8 cents over his career, which is nothing.
On the defensive side of the ball, the argument just keeps getting better. Giddey has a better chance of being effective against the Tobias Harrises and Harrison Barneses of the world than trying to stop speedy All-Star quarterbacks.
His rebounding (7.2 for his career) is good enough to make the transition and should carry over. Against much taller forwards, he might lose that battle, but you live with it because it beats the alternative of chasing point guards on the rim, who often manage to take him out of the game and force the Bulls. play 4v5 defense.
The solution doesn’t have to be perfect, and a positional move doesn’t have to make him a starter either. But it’s becoming increasingly clear that Giddey can’t handle the responsibilities of an NBA point guard.
Given that he still has some level of talent, it might be in his best interest for the Bulls to test him to see if he could at least turn into a rotation player long-term and under more optimized circumstances.
If not, it will only be a matter of time before Giddey becomes an afterthought whose time in the NBA is reduced to a short-lived myth about a 6-8 Aussie who thought he could play point guard.