The Chicago Bulls are streaking and Josh Giddey is at the center of their revival.
When the Chicago Bulls originally traded Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey during the offseason, there were many who were underwhelmed with the move. In theory, Giddey was always considered a good player for the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, the Bulls needed him to not just be a good player but to be a franchise cornerstone building block.
At the start of the year, it was hard to categorize Giddey as that. The Bulls got off to a shaky start, even with Zach LaVine still in the lineup, and Giddey left much to be desired. However, much of that has changed over the last two months of the season. During that span, it does seem as if LaVine's depature has managed to unlock another level of Giddey's game.
As more of the primary ball-handler on the offensive end of the floor, Giddey has taken his game to an entirely different level - and the Bulls are playing some of their best basketball in recent memory. Heading into the Play-In Tournament, the Bulls are going to be considered one of the hottest teams ranked at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
The baby Bulls may be back
Chicago has reeled off four games in a row and, overall, has won nine of their last 11 games. With just nine games left in the regular season, the young Bulls are playing some impressive basketball. Over the last two months of the season, Giddey has looked like a different player as well. During that span, Giddey averaged 21 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists per game on 51 percent shooting from the field and 49 percent shooting from 3-point range.
Giddey has rejuvenated the Bulls, and the young squad has to have the fan base excited about the future. As he prepares to hit the restricted free agency market, Chicago finds itself in a position where they have to figure out a way to re-sign Giddey.
While there may have been questions about Giddey and his value to the team at the start of the season, now that he's been given the reins of the offense, there should be no questions. Giddey has proven that he can bring an exciting brand of basketball to Chicago, and he's accomplished that over the last couple of months of the season.
Giddey is not a traditional No. 1 option in the modern game but he's proven his worth to the Bulls with his play of late. It's time for the front office to put in the dirty work to figure out what the next step of the build looks like. From the outside looking in, it does seem as if the Bulls have been proven right with the move for Giddey.
The baby Bulls are back; they're exciting and could make some noise if they make it to the NBA Playoffs. The recent emergence of Josh Giddey is one of the bigger reasons why.