Josh Giddy hasn’t relied too much on the lab pass throughout his career, but he insists that’s largely due to the big men he’s teamed up with, writes Joe Cawley of The Chicago Sun-Times. That will change this season with Bykovwhich consisted Caleb Wilson as the leader of a group of pilots that also includes Matas Bouzelis, Nick Claxton and Noah Esseng. Giddy is looking forward to showing off her lane skating skills and getting a lot of easy baskets.
“All these big men I played with were very good in their own way, but it was good to have a different look when it gave me the opportunity to put the ball near the rim and make guys take it.” Giddy said. “Whether it’s the wings or our top five, we’ve got guys that can catch lobs all over the place. I need to get better at throwing them, but I think it’s going to be good to have guys that I can put anywhere around the cylinder and they’ll take care of the rest.”
Cowley notes that Chicago also acquired the shooting this summer, bringing Norman Powell and Buddy Hield into what should be an enhanced felony. Giddy will be the leader on the court, who will have to turn on all the new weapons and execute the head coach Tiago Splitter team vision.
“I think he’s got a lot of guys around him that can score, so he knows that.” Splitter said of Giddy. “He thinks about the game, he’s smart about it, and hopefully game by game our vision starts to get clearer and he can help this team be effective.”
There’s more from Chicago:
- Claxton, who is recovering from a hamstring injuryperhaps the only Bulls player not ready for opening night, trans Jeff Agrest of The Chicago Sun-Times. Claxton had a light run during Friday’s shootaround, and while he could return quickly, he won’t be rushed. “Every day he does something different and more aggressive,” said Splitter. “But – I’m not going to stop saying this – it’s a very dangerous injury. The chances of it happening again are high. So we have to be careful.” Splitter added this backup center Zach Collinsdealing with a quad injury, has been cleared for full contact.
- The Bulls were encouraged that Wilson was in the spotlight during his first NBA preseason, according to Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune (subscription required). Whether he’s talking about something positive or negative, Wilson is open and honest about his experiences. “It never seemed like it was too much” – he said. “The best players who ever played had a rough start, and my start isn’t even that rough. I feel like I’m doing great. I’m just going and learning. I’m a beginner. I’m going up against competition I’ve never faced before and I’m being asked to do things I’ve never been asked to do. I expect there to be mistakes and I have to give myself the grace to play.”
- Leonard Millerwho was acquired from Minnesota in February, is eyeing Chicago as a potential long-term home (Link to video on Twitter from Will Gottlieb of CHGO Bulls). “I like it here” – said Miller. “I think the time since I was traded has been amazing.”
