The Chicago Bulls are in a bit of a holding pattern right now, and a lot of that has to do with the absence of Josh Giddey. The 23-year-old guard has been sidelined for nearly three weeks with a hamstring injury, and while the Bulls have managed to stay afloat-going 4-4 during that stretch-they’ve clearly missed his all-around impact on both ends of the floor.
Head coach Billy Donovan offered a promising update ahead of Friday’s matchup with the Brooklyn Nets, saying there’s a chance Giddey could get some on-court work in with the Bulls’ G League affiliate as early as Sunday. It’s a key step in the ramp-up process, and so far, the signs are pointing in the right direction.
“There is some hope maybe on Sunday that [Josh] can get into practice with those [G-League] guys and get at least some playing,” Donovan said. “So far, with the ramp-up that’s started, there’s been no setbacks.
I think he feels pretty good. But I’d like to see him get into one of those practices and see where he’s at.
But he’s certainly progressing in a good way and I feel good where he’s at.”
That’s encouraging news for a Bulls team that could use a spark. Despite sitting ninth in the Eastern Conference standings, they’ve dropped four of their last six and haven’t been able to find consistent rhythm offensively.
Giddey, before the injury, was doing just about everything for Chicago-averaging a near triple-double with 21.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 9.9 assists per game while shooting a career-best across the board (.466/.386/.761). That kind of production is tough to replace, and it’s shown.
During his absence, the Bulls have posted a net rating of 0.0-14th in the league over that span. That tells the story of a team that’s been treading water: not sinking, but not surging either. And in a tightly packed Eastern Conference, that kind of middling performance can be the difference between a Play-In spot and an early offseason.
Chicago currently holds a slim half-game lead over the Atlanta Hawks for the ninth seed and trails the Miami Heat by just 1.5 games for eighth. Every game matters at this point, and the Bulls are heading into a stretch that could define their season.
They’ve got back-to-back games against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday and Sunday-two opportunities to stabilize and build momentum. But after that, the schedule doesn’t do them any favors. A four-game run against the Clippers, Timberwolves, Celtics, and Lakers looms, and that’s a gauntlet that requires all hands on deck.
Getting Giddey back-if not for the Nets series, then for that brutal four-game swing-could be a game-changer. He’s not just the Bulls’ best playmaker; he’s their engine. And if he returns looking like the guy we saw in the first 30 games of the season, Chicago might just have enough juice to climb out of the Play-In and into a more secure playoff position.
For now, the Bulls wait-and hope their star guard is ready to rejoin the fight soon.