Josh Giddey: Chicago Bulls guard is injured — and not himself

Josh Giddey waited until the final moments of his season-opening 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 guard said he underwent an MRI and received a diagnosis, but declined to specify the nature of the injury that was never 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, who are not cleared to publicly discuss player health with the media.

“It’s going to be around all season, for a while, but it’ll be okay,” Giddey said. “It’s not going to keep me out of playing, so we’ll be alright.”

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The injury might not be the root of the problem, but Giddey certainly hasn’t looked like himself since the beginning of training camp. He went 11-for-30 in five preseason games, a notably low level of production for a guard who averaged 17 points off 13.3 attempts per game last season.

Although it wasn’t quite as dramatic, Giddey still went 1-for-10 from the floor, scoring only two points in Wednesday’s brutal beatdown by the Toronto Raptors. He registered six assists against five turnovers, at one point fumbling while attempting to advance the ball past half court through a simple trap.

Giddey’s injury does not affect his shooting arm, which eliminates what could have been a helpful explanation for this sudden plummet in shot-taking. The guard is adjusting to a new offensive scheme under coach Tiago Splitter and learning to play alongside new teammates like Norman Powell and rookie Caleb Wilson. But Giddey is used to playing with high-powered scorers like Zach LaVine and Coby White, so he is not incapable of creating shots while partnered with high-gravity stars. The issue seems to be intention — despite the fact that Giddey insists he isn’t trying to change his shot diet.

“I think that’s probably on me to try to figure out with the new system,” Giddey said. “Especially in the starting lineup, all those guys are kind of scorers, so it’s just about finding a balance between when to be aggressive, when to get other guys the ball.

“I gotta 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.

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