Despite finishing 39-43, the Chicago Bulls landing in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament for the third consecutive campaign and facing elimination at the hands of the Miami Heat for the third consecutive time feels a bit unlucky.
It was a tale of two seasons for Chicago. Stalwarts Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic kept the team mostly competitive until the trade deadline, when LaVine was dealt to the Sacramento Kings. The Bulls went 3-10 over their next 13 games.
Since then, Chicago is 15-5, good for the fifth-best record in the NBA. The Bulls are third in points per game (122.0), eighth in field goal percentage (49.1) and have gone from 30th in free-throw attempts per game to 14th in that span. They’ve developed into one of the most dangerous offenses in the league.
A lot of that has come on the shoulders of Josh Giddey and Coby White, who’ve transformed as players since the All-Star break. One member of Chicago’s backcourt isn’t fully healthy, though, and there’s at least some concern over his status for Wednesday’s game against Miami.
Bulls optimistic Josh Giddey will play against Heat in East Play-In
In those same 20 games, Giddey has averaged 20.6 points, the 39th-most in the league. His 10.7 rebounds-per-game average is 12th and by far the best among guards. He’s also averaging 9.7 assists, which ranks fourth in the NBA.
More crucial than anything, though, has been Giddey’s massive jump in efficiency. He’s shooting almost 50 percent from the field, 39.6 percent from three and 79.2 percent from the free-throw line on 5.9 attempts (he’s never averaged more than 1.9 per game in a season).
The 22-year-old has missed three of his team’s last four games, however, and didn’t fly to Philadelphia for the Bulls’ ultimate regular-season contest. Giddey has been dealing with—and playing through—a wrist injury. He’s expected to play against Miami, but based on recent reports, he won’t be fully healthy and isn’t a lock to suit up.
Josh Giddey remained in Chicago to get treatment on wrist. Billy Donovan said there’s “high-level optimism” he’ll be able to play Wednesday vs. Miami. But the wrist is hampering Giddey and remains a concern.
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The Bulls will already be without Lonzo Ball, Tre Jones and Ayo Dosunmu. That leaves Jevon Carter and Dalen Terry as head coach Billy Donovan’s top point guard reserves behind Giddey and White. If it wasn’t a certainty before, it is now; Chicago can’t win without a solid performance from its soon-to-be-massively-paid floor general.
