The Cleveland Cavaliers, who stayed unbeaten with a 144-126 victory, defeated head coach Billy Donovan’s Chicago Bulls in their 14th game.
Josh Giddey, a guard for the Bulls, had a rough 15 minutes, scoring 5 points and receiving 4 personal fouls.
Giddey’s conspicuous absence during the game’s final moments raised questions about “concerns” about a possibly dangerous pattern for both him and Donovan. Giddey, the Bulls’ major summer acquisition, has lost four games in a row.
The 21-year-old point guard, who was previously selected in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Alex Caruso, will be a restricted free agency in the 2025 summer.
On November 15, Giddey told reporters, “I don’t even blame it on the fouls.” That was undoubtedly a contributing factor. The rest, however, was equally awful. I probably wasn’t in the game for very long because I did foul. But if I were Billy, I wouldn’t play myself. Tonight, there are no minutes. I need to chuck this one in the trash and move on because I was poor on both sides of the ball.
Josh Giddey expressed frustration with his defensive performance after the game, telling Joe Cowley of the *Chicago Sun-Times*, “It p***** me off to play like that on the defensive end. I wanted to improve in that area, as I mentioned in the preseason, and I thought I was heading in the right direction. But after a night like tonight, it shakes your confidence.”
According to NBA.com matchup stats, Cavaliers players shot an impressive 90% from the field when guarded by Giddey.
While Giddey avoided turnovers, his offensive struggles continued, going 1-for-5 from three-point range and 2-for-9 overall. Despite his offensive potential, Giddey’s defensive shortcomings remain a concern, reportedly contributing to the Thunder’s decision to move on from him.
Giddey’s four-year rookie scale contract, worth $27.2 million, is currently in its last year. In 2025, if Giddey signs an offer sheet as a restricted free agent, the Bulls will have the first say.
Following the Bulls trade, Josh Giddey discussed the defense’s shortcomings.
In his first press conference following his trade to the Bulls, Giddey did admit to having a bad defensive record.
He brought up his treatment against the Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs.
The Mavericks were prepared to commit to more dangerous players while leaving Giddey, a career 31.6% shooter from outside the arc, open offensively. On defense, he was singled out by both bigger, stronger players and faster, smaller ones.
For me, it was most likely a blessing in disguise. In his June press conference, Giddey stated, “It really taught me what I need to work on, how I need to get better.” “Shooting is obviously a major one. However, I believe that as we approach this offseason, my perspective on the defensive end has completely changed, and I’ve come to the conclusion that you have to be extremely competitive there if you want to be at your best. Guys, you need to be able to sit down.
“I really want to be proud of that side of the ball.” The offense will come easily, I believe. However, I definitely want to improve in that area so that I’m prepared to play both sides of the ball and not just one when playoff time arrives.
Donovan said that the decision to hold Giddey out was influenced by his foul trouble.
However, Donovan batted off the idea that Giddey’s habit of missing games to finish them was in any way a “concern” for the Bulls because of his impending contract predicament.
Giddey has made 13 appearances in 2024–25 and has a 40% shooting percentage from downtown. According to Cleaning The Glass, he also has the lowest defensive on-off differential of any Bulls player that is eligible.
A concerning update regarding Bulls PG Lonzo Ball is provided by Billy Donovan.
Donovan’s situation is made worse by the Bulls’ lack of Lonzo Ball, who might relieve some of the strain on him in terms of defense and ball handling while also giving him a release.
With Giddey on the court, the Bulls have a minus-11.2 net rating in 785 possessions, which puts them in the 12th percentile. Despite just having 22 qualifying possessions, they have a plus-72.7 net rating while Ball is on the floor and a minus-13.7 when he is not.
Ball’s return date is uncertain after missing the Bulls’ last nine games due to a wrist injury.
In New York, Lonzo Ball put in a lot of exercise, which Donovan described as “definitely a struggle.” Sunday was the initial optimistic target date, but according to Donovan, he needs at least another week. Ball is struggling to catch passes pain-free, according to a November 15 X report by K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network.
Doctors said this could be a two-week or six-week injury, according to Donovan. To put it another way, everything depends on how the wrist heals. The ball may shoot and dribble. However, it’s difficult to catch passes, and the Bulls haven’t even tried hitting him there defensively.
