TORONTO — Josh Giddey waited until the final moments of his postgame media scrum in the locker room at ScotiaBank Arena to reveal a crucial blow to the Chicago Bulls: He suffered a left wrist injury in the preseason and might have to manage the pain for the rest of the season.
Giddey said he landed awkwardly on his left wrist during the first preseason game against the Phoenix Suns earlier this month. The 24-year-old guard said he underwent an MRI and received a diagnosis, but he declined to specify the nature of the injury — which never was included on the team’s injury report.
Giddey, who has worn a wrap on that section of his arm, also did not clarify whether he is dealing with a soft-tissue injury. He repeatedly referred questions to the Bulls medical team, which is not cleared to discuss player health with the media.
“It’s going to be around all season, for a while, but it’ll be OK,” Giddey said Wednesday night after the Bulls’ 135-92 loss to the Toronto Raptors in the season opener. “It’s not going to keep me out of playing, so we’ll be all right.”
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The injury might not be the root of the problem, but Giddey hasn’t looked like himself since the beginning of training camp. He shot 11-for-30 (36.7%) from the field in five preseason games, notably low production for a player who averaged 17 points off 13.3 attempts per game last season.
Although the decrease in shot volume wasn’t quite as dramatic, Giddey went 1-for-10 from the field and scored only two points in Wednesday’s brutal beatdown by the Raptors. He registered six assists against five turnovers, at one point fumbling while attempting to advance the ball past midcourt through a simple trap.
Giddey’s injury doesn’t affect his shooting arm, which eliminates that as a possible explanation for his sudden plummet in shot-taking. He is adjusting to a new offensive scheme under coach Tiago Splitter and learning to play alongside new teammates such as veteran Norman Powell and rookie Caleb Wilson.
But Giddey is used to playing with high-volume scorers like Zach LaVine and Coby White, so he’s not incapable of creating shots while partnered with such players. The issue seems to be intention — despite the fact Giddey insists he isn’t trying to change his shot diet.
“That’s probably on me to try to figure out with the new system,” he said. “Especially in the starting lineup, all those guys are scorers, so it’s about finding a balance between when to be aggressive, when to get other guys the ball.“I’ve got to figure that out, obviously. I haven’t done a lot of it probably in the first five preseason games and then tonight, but I think I’m capable on that end.”
A slow start doesn’t favor Giddey or the Bulls, who need to use this season to determine the point guard’s place in the long-term rebuild — if it exists at all.
Giddey is entering the second season of a four-year, $100 million contract. It’s a favorable deal for the Bulls, who avoided a steep overpay for a unique guard whose signature creativity as a passer doesn’t always outweigh his high usage rate and proclivity toward risk-taking.
The Bulls don’t need to rush a decision on Giddey, who is unlikely to be a trade-deadline priority due to his current market value.
But this evaluation period will be more difficult if Giddey is playing injured — or simply not playing like himself.