WATCH: Josh Giddey fills up the stat sheet, passes up assists against Team USA Originally appeared in NBC Sports Chicago
Bulls‘ new base Josh Giddey She is competing for the Australian team at the Paris Olympics this summer. In preparation, her team competed against the U.S. team in an exhibition match in Abu Dhabi recently.
Australia came back bravely late in the game against the United States and Giddey filled the stat sheet, finishing with 17 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
He also provided a wealth of assists to his players, including two incredible assists in the final seconds of the game. In the end, they fell short, 98-92.
Giddey joined the Bulls after they traded Alex Caruso to the Thunder in a straight-up player-for-player deal. Giddey, 21, has played with the Thunder for three years and was the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
At his inaugural press conference with the team, he admitted he hadn’t talked to the coaches about his role. Remember, the Bulls still have point guard Lonzo Ball and guards Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu manning the backcourt.
But when asked what he imagines his role will be, he didn’t hesitate to respond like a true point guard.
“My job is just to make the game easy for everybody else. Go in and make sure guys have easy shots, that they feel comfortable on the court,” he said. “When you’re a point guard and you can get other people around you into the game and feel good from the start, that opens up the game for everybody. That’s how I see myself, making basketball easy for my teammates around me.”
