Josh Giddey's Defensive Woes: A Closer Look at His Recent Benching

Josh Giddey got scrutinized last season in Oklahoma City for becoming unplayable in the playoffs due to his horrific defense. Traded to the Chicago Bulls in the offseason, Giddey has found himself out of the rotation at the end of recent games and it has caused a split among the team's supporters.

The Bulls traded Alex Caruso, one of the best defenders in the NBA, to acquire Giddey, one of the league's worst defenders. Giddey is averaging 12 points, six assists, and six rebounds per game to begin his Bulls tenure. Alongside the production of Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and Coby White, Giddey's numbers are decent.

But these stats don't tell Giddey's story on the defensive side of the ball. Giddey has been consistently targeted on defense, where his deficiencies have led to him riding the bench. Opposing teams are constantly putting him in situations where he has to guard multiple actions, and quite frankly, Giddey just isn't athletic enough to keep up and stay in front of his man.

Some Bulls fans are in an uproar over Giddey not playing during clutch moments. Those who are upset are the ones still questioning the trade that brought Giddey to Chicago. Caruso would certainly be in any Bulls' end-of-game- rotation while Giddey sits out during these crucial moments.

I don't think Giddey's clutch-time benching is a big deal right now considering the scenarios the Bulls have found themselves in this season. Chicago has had to mount a second-half rally in seemingly every game so far this season. The Bulls prefer to get the ball to LaVine and White when the game is on the line.

When Giddey is on the court, the Bulls are not only a worse defensive team but also a worse offensive team. When it comes to single-digit games in the fourth quarter, Giddey is unplayable.

The current debate among the coaching staff is between Giddey and Ayo Dosunmu. When the Bulls are consistently down by 20 points each game, it's obvious they need better defenders on the court. There's no way the Bulls can rally by outscoring their opponents in the second half alone. 

Dosunmu is arguably the Bulls' best defensive player, at least at the guard position. Along with his defensive prowess, Dosunmu is a significant role player who employs the style Billy Donovan wants to play.

After the Bulls' loss to the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, Donovan was asked about Giddey and why he hasn't been in during clutch moments in the last four games.

"I've got confidence in Josh. In certain situations, Josh will be closing," Donovan said.

Giddey is self-aware as to why he's not playing as well.

"I wouldn’t have played myself if I was Billy either," he said after Friday's defeat. "I was bad at both ends.”

I believe Dosunmu deserves to play in these end-of-game situations. He's shooting the ball well and is arguably Chicago's best perimeter defender. Giddey is just too big of a liability on defense to have in at the end of the games. And if Lonzo Ball was healthy, this Dosunmu over Giddey debate would likely be null and void.

Bulls fans have a right to be concerned over Giddey's benching. The 22-year-old is in a contract year and he's due for a payday no matter what due to the NBA's CBA structure. But if Giddey can't close out games, his value decreases tremendously each time out, and he's not worth the $30 million he's reportedly looking for. 

As always... See Red!