Josh Giddey Has Bulls Off To Best Start Since Michael Jordan Era
No one had the Chicago Bulls starting 5-0 on their 2025-26 NBA bingo card, but Chicago’s record is real. Entering Saturday, the Bulls were one of just three undefeated NBA teams remaining, joining the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder (6-0) and the San Antonio Spurs (5-0). At the center of Chicago’s sudden success is 6-foot-8 Australian point guard Josh Giddey, who was not long ago a member of the Thunder.
OKC traded Giddey to Chicago two summers ago for defensive stud Alex Caruso, a move that the Thunder can’t possibly be regretting, having just watched Caruso help them win an NBA title.
That being said, the Bulls are happy with their end of the deal, too. Giddey, who just turned 23 last month, has averaged 15.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists in 75 games for Chicago dating back to last season.
Giddey really started getting comfortable during the second half of 2024-25, but he’s looked like a different beast to begin 2025-26. So have the Bulls, who are taking advantage of Giddey’s Steve Nash-esque offensive pace to put pressure on opposing defenses, while also playing energetic defense themselves using their youth and length. Head coach Billy Donovan deserves his flowers for how hard these Bulls are playing.
But Giddey is the undeniable engine of Chicago’s best start to a season since Michael Jordan was on the team. Hoops Wire’s Sam Amico wrote about this on Saturday.
“The Bulls moved to 5-0 with a 135-125 win over the Knicks on Friday and this is the Bulls’ best start since 1996-97,” Amico wrote. “Yes, a Michael Jordan year. Yes, that’s wild. And yeah, the locker room was in celebration mode but also self-aware. Josh Giddey basically said it’s cool, but it’s early.”
“Giddey didn’t just talk — he was sensational (against the Knicks),” Amico continued. “Career-high 32 points. Ten rebounds. Nine assists. He splashed four threes in the first half and the Bulls jumped out by 19. On the season Giddey is sitting at 22 points, 8 assists and 8.8 rebounds while shooting 48% and 45% from three.”
The Bulls will fall back down to Earth at some point soon, but there’s still something special brewing in Chicago, which is not something that’s happened since the days of prime Derrick Rose.