2025-26 Season Preview: Which Half Of Last Season Will Josh Giddey Look Like?

The Train Has Left The Station

When Giddey arrived in Chicago, they expected him to be the pass-first point guard that he is. Giddey has always had a high IQ. He knows how to be a playmaker for his team, but that was taken away from him after the rise of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Oklahoma City.

This season, he averaged a respectable 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists in 70 games. The interesting note here is actually the rebounds and assists, which were both career-highs for Giddey (previous career-highs were 7.9 rebounds per game in 2023 and 6.4 assists per game in 2022).

Second-half Josh Giddey -- Is This Who We'll See Next Season?

But then something happened. After the NBA All-Star break, it's like Giddey came back a different player. He played much stronger, like the outing against the Lakers, where he finished with a near quadruple-double.

Then this insane halfcourt game winner also against the Lakers, which topped off a 25 point, 14 rebound, 11 assist night:

During the month of March 2025, the guard was averaging 22.5 points, 10 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game -- a near triple-double. Giddey was stepping up into the leadership role, along with White, as a primary option.

The question remains: Can Giddey continue the run he finished with last season, going into this season? Can he be the go-to guy the Bulls need? With the available evidence, there's no reason not to think he could. With signing his contract this summer signifying his long-term commitment to the Bulls, he could -- and should -- be coming into this season more confident than ever.

If Giddey continues this kind of play, and White continues to evolve, the Bulls just need to make the right moves, and there's a great chance they'll be back into the playoff mix sooner rather than later. With the ascending Matas Buzelis on the wing, Giddey's assist totals could take a bump if he takes a sophomore jump.