Josh Giddey endured a difficult 2023-24 season with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Not only was he marginalized in the team's offense amid Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's continued ascent, the public's perception of him also took a nosedive after he was alleged to have had improper relations with an underaged girl. But the 2024-25 campaign carries with it the promise of a new beginning for Giddey now that he's with the Chicago Bulls, especially considering that the legal case against him had been dropped.
Zach LaVine's latest remarks, however, did not do much good with regards to Giddey getting a fresh start in the Windy City. LaVine was certainly just expressing his excitement over playing with Giddey on the Bulls, but perhaps he should have thought twice about the implications of what he said.
“Everybody better get their hands ready,” LaVine remarked about playing with Giddey, per KC Johnson of Chicago Sports Network.
While the Bulls star definitely meant no harm, fans ran away with his out-of-context remarks and had a field day on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“bro please consider phrasing when saying things like this,” X user @chisportsross pleaded.
“Thought this was Centel,” @Big12Pokes added.
For this quote from LaVine to make the rounds on social media the same day the Bulls signed (and waived) Josh Primo so they could get his G-League rights simply makes the timing of it all rather laughable for some fans.
“signing Josh Primo and this in the same day is nasty work lmao,” @BlazerLegndSefo expressed.
At the end of the day, LaVine is only talking about how Giddey's unselfishness and willingness to throw passes that nobody else sees should keep Bulls players on high alert, saying that passes could arrive in their hands at any time, hence the need for them to be ready. But perhaps LaVine should consider articulating himself in a much clearer manner next time around to avoid eliciting this kind of reaction from fans who will make fun of almost anything on social media.
Can Josh Giddey get his career back on track with the Bulls?
Josh Giddey's stock fell off rather precipitously after a down year with the Thunder. He simply did not fit in with the direction OKC was going, and the Thunder decided to trade him in a straight-up deal for Alex Caruso this past offseason — signaling the start of a youth movement for the Bulls.
If anything, the Bulls might have been the perfect landing spot for Giddey. Giddey needs the ball in his hands to thrive, as he is a gifted playmaker who thrives in space. The Bulls have outside threats across multiple positions who could help space the floor for Giddey when he commandeers the offense.
Coby White and Zach LaVine can do plenty of damage in off-ball actions, while Nikola Vucevic, despite struggling with his shot over the past few seasons, can hit his fair share of jumpers as well. Only 21 years of age, Giddey could very well improve his jumpshot, as that could prove to be the difference between him being a merely solid NBA player and a legitimate star.
The Bulls caught flak for only receiving Giddey in the Caruso trade. But not too long ago, Giddey was one of the brightest young prospects in the NBA. Perhaps by putting a tumultuous 2023-24 season completely in the rearview mirror, he's able to get his career back on track in the Windy City.