NEW ORLEANS — Pelicans fans wasted no time giving Josh Giddey a cold welcome to New Orleans on Wednesday night.
The moment the Chicago Bulls guard’s face flashed on the screen during pregame introductions at Smoothie King Center, the crowd erupted in a thick chorus of jeers. Boos continued to rain down on Giddey every time he laid a hand on the ball.
This wasn’t a handful of hecklers. The disapproval echoed throughout the arena, cacophonous in the opening minutes before quieting slowly into a low grumble by the fourth quarter.
“I’m surprised it’s still gone on the way it was tonight,” Giddey said. “It threw my teammates off. Obviously this one was pretty loud. Every touch, I definitely heard them.”
As far as Giddey and the Bulls are concerned, the source of this ire has been buried in the past. Last November, Giddey — who had turned 21 a month earlier — was accused on an anonymous social media account of having engaged in sexual misconduct involving a minor.
Both the NBA and the Newport Beach (Calif.) Police Department opened investigations into the accusation that were closed within months, citing a lack of evidence of any wrongdoing. No victim ever emerged with further allegations.
Around the league, however, fans are less willing to move on, as evidenced by the reaction that followed Giddey around the court Wednesday.
For Giddey, there is no immediate antidote. He has declined to comment on the closed investigations for almost a year. The fan reaction bothers him — he’ll admit that much. But he also believes the only way through is to put his head down and keep playing.
“It is what it is,” Giddey said. “I can’t do a lot about it. I just have to continue to play and do what I can out there.”
Giddey is looking for a fresh start after the Bulls acquired him from the Oklahoma City Thunder in June. He was poised to drop out of the Thunder’s starting lineup after a drop-off season that included an abysmal shooting performance in the NBA playoffs. His steep decline in play wasn’t directly due to the pressure of the investigations, but his confidence visibly slipped.
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Giddey is back in a starting role in Chicago. His goals for the season include rehabbing his 3-point shot and improving his defense while facilitating leading scorers Zach LaVine and Coby White in a new-look offense. In the process, he hopes to redefine himself.
When the Bulls traded Alex Caruso to the Thunder for Giddey, executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas emphasized that Giddey wasn’t intended to be a replacement for long-injured point guard Lonzo Ball. That held true throughout the preseason — mostly because the Bulls no longer need a replacement for Ball, who is back on the court in a limited capacity for 14 to 16 minutes a game.
As Giddey and Ball rotate at point guard, it’s evident why Giddey is not a plug-and-play replacement for Ball. He lags behind in defensive rigor and 3-point shooting and makes too many risky passes. But despite their differences, teammates agree on one key similarity to Ball: When Giddey is on the court, the game gets easier for his teammates
“He gets the ball out of his hand,” LaVine said. “He’s looking for guys when he’s getting to the lane. When he gets to the lane, obviously he can score, but I think his first instinct is passing. I played with a bunch of guys like that — the guy that comes to mind is Ricky Rubio, the way he saw the game, the way he passed.”
Giddey finished with 14 points and three assists Wednesday and committed three of the Bulls’ 21 turnovers in the 123-111 loss. Despite a muted debut, he emphasized his confidence in improving his on-ball composure and decision making as he builds chemistry with his teammates.
Off the court is a different challenge. It’s unclear whether the boos will follow Giddey throughout this season — or even to the United Center, where the Bulls face the Thunder in Saturday’s home opener.
If Giddey is going to make an impact in Chicago — and have a chance at redefining his role in the NBA — he might have to be prepared to tune out the noise for another season.
