Josh Giddey is making the most of another lost season for the Chicago Bulls.
Even with some uncharacteristic injury trouble that forced him to miss 20 games this season, Giddey has still found a way to justify the organization’s investment. The Bulls re-signed the guard to a four-year, $100 million deal following a solid first season with the team. He immediately came out and posted All-Star-caliber numbers, averaging 19.2 points, 9.0 assists, and 8.9 rebounds over his first 30 games of the season.
The win-loss column may have remained in the middle, but there was no denying that Giddey was continuing to look like a worthwhile building block. He was registering a career-high on/off differential and performing like a far more well-rounded scorer. The trips to the free throw line that were so encouraging over the final month and a half of the 2024-25 campaign also remained. And the same goes for his newfound efficiency behind the arc.
The latter is what really deserves some additional praise, however. Three-point shooting was arguably Giddey’s biggest red flag early in his career. Sure, he lacked raw explosiveness and was a bit flat-footed defensively. But what was bound to heavily restrict his ceiling was an inability to stretch the floor. It’s an absolute necessity for a point guard in today’s game, particularly when it comes to someone with Giddey’s vision and ability to create for his teammates. The further you can draw out a defender, the more room you have to go to work.
In Oklahoma City, Giddey repeatedly failed to show meaningful signs of growth from downtown. Did he improve each season slightly? Yes, but it wasn’t enough to make him a strong enough fit with their ever-improving team. This all came to a head during OKC’s 2023-24 playoff series with the NBA Finals-bound Dallas Mavericks.
With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander demanding the on-ball duties, Giddey was forced to play an increasing amount off the ball. Mavs head coach Jason Kidd proceeded to ignore Giddey on one end and attack him on the other. The jumbo guard went just 3-16 from deep in the six-game series and found himself benched four games in.
With that in mind, it’s no wonder the three-ball was a major talking point when Giddey arrived in Chicago. Yes, they were going to put the ball in his hands more and attempt to draw out his strengths. But improving behind the arc was still going to be the key to him becoming a true core piece.
To his Giddey’s credit, he did precisely that with a career-high 37.8 percent shooting on 4.0 attempts a night. The volume may not have been the highest, but it was enough to raise an optimistic eyebrow. To raise two eyebrows, though, it had to stretch into Year 2. Plenty of players have had outlier shooting seasons before.
Well, consider a new standard set! Giddey’s three-point success rate sits at a nearly identical 37.3 percent during the 2025-26 season. This has even come despite a slight uptick in his volume, as he is now shooting a smidge under 5.0 attempts a night. While he can stand to improve on his pull-up attempts (32.8), he is becoming a consistently dependable option on catch-and-shoot looks with a near 40.0 percent clip.
The eyetest is honestly all you need to see that Giddey is a different player. He hesitates far less to let it fly, so much so that he has three games with double-digit attempts this season. Giddey entered his fifth season in the NBA with only one such game, and it came during his rookie year.
Josh Giddey’s 3-Point Shooting Through the Years
| NBA Season | 3P% |
|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 26.3% (3.9 3PAs) |
| 2022-23 | 32.5% (31.1) |
| 2023-24 | 33.7% (3.0) |
| 2024-25 | 37.8% (4.0) |
| 2025-26 | 37.3 (5.0) |
Look, Giddey is likely never going to be considered a certified knockdown shooter. Whether it be his somewhat awkward release or the fact that he rarely looks for a jumper off the bounce, it’s safe to say he knows his limits. But let’s not ignore that he is 23 years old. This is why it ultimately felt like a decent bet by the Bulls when they brought him in two summers ago. As bad as the playoff series was against the Mavericks, it was also an eye-opening moment for a motivated young player.
Development can take time and can happen amid a frustrating season. Neither the Bulls nor their fans should lose sight of that as the losses stack up. Giddey’s growth from behind the arc is meaningful, and it should go a long way toward making the Bulls feel confident in his ability to be an essential piece of the puzzle.
