Josh Giddey is tired of being the target on defense.
In four NBA seasons, it has been the hallmark of his career. Not the no-look passes. Not the full-court heaves. Regardless of his skill and impact on offense, the Chicago Bulls guard has become known as a defensive liability.
Giddey knows this about himself — and he wants to change it. Since returning Saturday from an ankle sprain, he’s beginning to show signs on the defensive end of what he hopes will be a transformative trend in the new year.
“I’m just taking more pride on that side of the ball,” Giddey said. “I want to buy in.”
During his first three seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, it was hard for Giddey to find perspective. Sure, he wasn’t a great defender, but he was playing on one of the best defensive teams in the league.
Perspective came crashing into focus this season. In Chicago, Giddey was the weakest link on a bad defensive team (24th in the league through Wednesday with a 115.5 defensive rating). Role players such as Ayo Dosunmu provide versatile defensive pressure, but none of the team’s top stars — Zach LaVine, Coby White, Nikola Vučević — is known for his defense.
Even in this new environment, Giddey remained the target. And his deficiencies were more damning in the eyes of Bulls fans when contrasted with the defensive impact made by Alex Caruso, whom the Bulls traded to the Thunder to acquire Giddey.
Seven weeks ago, Giddey hit a breaking point. He was yanked from the closing rotation of a 144-126 loss in Cleveland during which the Cavaliers ran every screen play with the apparent goal of switching Giddey onto their desired player.
No player wants to be embarrassed on the court. Getting beat happens every game, every play, every possession. Someone loses, someone wins. That’s normal. But it’s not normal to be incapable of keeping up. And for those 15 minutes in Cleveland, Giddey didn’t feel like he had earned a spot on the court.
Sitting in the locker room, Giddey played back every mistake, a brutal loop rewinding in his memory as he repeated the same frustrated sentiment: Damn.
It was a turning point. Giddey knew he could accept his status as a subpar defender, dig into his strengths and ignore his weaknesses — and, most likely, play himself off the court in the process. Or he could find another way.
“Eventually as a player, the fork gets pitched in the road where, as a defender, you start to become who you are,” Giddey said. “That game really played in my mind for a while. I was like, I’ve got to make a stand on that side of the ball.”
On paper, Giddey has at least some of the tangibles required to become a serviceable defender. He isn’t asked to pick up size disadvantages. Although he plays point guard, Giddey stands 6-foot-8, causing teammates such as LaVine to joke that he shouldn’t be classified as a guard at all on defense.
Coach Billy Donovan is quick to note Giddey’s length and nimble feet as qualities that should translate to better defense. For both the coach and player, the challenge is connecting a clear desire to improve with tangible progress.
“I’ve seen growth in that area and I’ve seen more competitiveness,” Donovan said. “When you point things out to him, I think he realizes areas to improve.
“He enjoys watching film. He likes looking at stuff. He wants to find ways to get better. He’s been willing to try to grow in that area, and I’ve seen significant progress for him.”
Giddey is keeping expectations low. Progress will be incremental. Staying down on shot fakes. Fighting over screens more efficiently. Not losing his head off the ball.
Although he has spent weeks studying film with Donovan to identify and improve the major gaps in his defensive performance, Giddey feels his greatest weakness is attention to detail. Defensive consistency requires a player to focus for the entirety of a play, never losing himself in the crush of bodies around the rim or in the motion along the perimeter.
For too long, Giddey has allowed himself lapses in both areas. If he wants to take the target off his back, he knows the answer begins and ends with his own exertion.
“It’s not going to be perfect,” Giddey said. “There’s going to be times where guys score. But it’s the effort. That’s something I really wanted to take pride in. Some guys are naturally gifted on that side of the ball. Other guys, it requires a lot of effort — and I definitely fall into that category.”
For the Bulls, Giddey’s defensive improvement — or lack thereof — this season will be deeply influential for the future.
The front office chose not to extend Giddey’s contract before the Oct. 21 deadline. That’s a common approach for the Bulls, who opted not to extend players such as White, Dosunmu and Patrick Williams at the end of their rookie contracts in favor of re-signing them over the summer. Doing the same with Giddey gives the Bulls time to figure out exactly what they have in the 22-year-old.
But as the Bulls approach a new era of building around young players, a lack of defensive consistency could — or at least should — make the front office wary of committing to a future with Giddey. No matter how much effort he puts into improving his defense, he still might not be a viable option to close games by the end of this season. And if that’s the case, the Bulls would have to accept reality as they juggle a roster already packed with perimeter players.
For now, Giddey has 48 games left to sharpen up — and prove he’s worth a long-term investment.
