Olivier Neven is a sports journalist and editor from Montreal, Canada. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Concordia University, Olivier went on to write and edit for several online publications, including Yahoo Sports Canada and The Raptors Insider.
Olivier now leads the MLS/North American Soccer team at GiveMeSport, editing articles and curating content strategy.
The Bulls sit in first place in the Eastern Conference with a 6-1 record, and are so far a perfect 5-0 at home. One of the main catalysts behind Chicago’s hot start is Josh Giddey.
The fifth-year guard is averaging an impressive 23.1 points, 10 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game, while shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from three-point range — all career-highs — in seven games.
The 23-year-old currently has the seventh-best odds of winning the NBA MVP award at this stage of the season, according to Basketball Reference.
Giddey’s heroics this year are not only garnering national headlines, but have also vaulted him into the Bulls record books.
Giddey Joins Michael Jordan in Bulls Record Books
The Australian guard is fresh off two huge performances, dropping back-to-back triple doubles against the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks.
| Josh Giddey – Back-to-Back Triple-Doubles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | vs NYK (L) | vs PHI (W) |
| Minutes | 38 | 37 |
| Points | 23 | 29 |
| Rebounds | 12 | 15 |
| Assists | 12 | 12 |
| Steals | 2 | 1 |
| Field-Goal % | 10/19 (52.6%) | 10/19 (52.6%) |
| 3-Point Field Goal % | 1/5 (20.0%) | 2/4 (50.0%) |
With a ridiculous 29-15-12 statline in Tuesday’s win over the 76ers — who sit right behind the Bulls in the East standings — Giddey became the first Bulls player to record consecutive triple-doubles since none other than Michael Jordan did it during the 1988-89 season.
Jordan managed two triple-double streaks that season, one of which went on for an astonishing seven games. His Airness finished that season with 15 triple-doubles, and managed 28 of them throughout the course of his career.
Giddey made more Bulls history on Tuesday, passing Jordan to become the fastest player to reach 150 points, 50 rebounds and 50 assists to start a season. He also passed Scottie Pippen for second all-time in 20-point triple-doubles in franchise history with six.
Chicago’s Hot Start by the Numbers
The Bulls are rolling so far this season, despite modest expectations by many around the league for a team that appeared to be retooling after parting ways with veteran stars like DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine in recent years.
But the young Bulls are making waves in the Eastern Conference, and are finding ways to win games without elite talent or much veteran presence.
Chicago is the eighth-youngest team in the NBA, with an average age of 24.6. The oldest player on the roster is Nikola Vucevic, who is playing in his 14th season at 35 years old.
The Bulls are seventh in the league in both offensive rating (117.2) and net rating (4.7), and 11th in defensive rating (112.5).
Most interesting, though, is how varied their scoring has been. The Bulls are second in points per game in the paint with 57.7, while scoring the third most drive points per game (32.7) on the highest average of drives per game (60.5).
However, they’re currently the second-best three-point shooting team in the NBA, firing at a 40.3 percent clip from beyond the arc despite only attempting the 19th-most attempts from long-range (34.7).
They’re one of the best ball-moving teams in the Association, averaging the fourth most assists per game (29.6). Their offense is predicated on driving and creating passing opportunities once the defense rotates, setting up catch-and-shoot opportunities — they’re averaging 39.1 C&S points per game (3rd) and sinking 42.0 percent of those shots (2nd).
For contrast, they rank last in the league in pull-up points per game with 9.4.
Billy Donovan and Co. might be on to something here.
