Josh Giddey is on fire. The 23-year-old Australian guard has transformed from a promising talent into an undeniable force, propelling the Chicago Bulls to a scorching 6-1 start and putting the entire NBA on notice. His latest masterclass—a triple-double that made him the first Bulls player to achieve back-to-back ones since Michael Jordan—has commentators raving, betting odds shifting, and trade rumors swirling. But it’s Bill Simmons’ blunt declaration on his podcast that cuts through the noise: “Giddey has to be No. 1” among the players who’ve blown him away this season.
That endorsement from one of basketball’s most influential voices underscores the sheer scale of Giddey’s leap. From a 2-6 slump in his early Bulls days to leading a resurgent squad without key pieces like Coby White, the Aussie is rewriting his narrative. And as Simmons points out, this surge could hand Chicago a golden opportunity to go “all in” at the trade deadline.
A Triple-Double Tornado
Giddey’s numbers are absurd: 23.1 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 9.1 assists per game—career highs across the board. He’s fifth in the league in assists, trailing only Nikola Jokic, LaMelo Ball, Cade Cunningham, and Austin Reaves. But it’s not just the stats; it’s the impact. The 6-foot-7 floor general is orchestrating offenses with surgical precision, crashing the glass like a forward, and finishing at the rim with newfound physicality.
NBA analyst Tim Cato nailed it on the CHGO Bulls Podcast: “The physicality has absolutely stood out. Obviously the way he gets defenders behind him and just kind of really picks out spots very methodically. That has absolutely been astounding.” Cato didn’t hold back: “He is playing at an All-Star level right now.”
Even skeptics are turning. Former NBA player Tim Legler, on the All NBA Podcast, argued Giddey isn’t getting enough shine. “Very few guys in this league have been better than Josh Giddey to start the year,” Legler said. “You can’t pound this point enough. The reason that you can go up and down their roster and talk about the positive contributions of all their guys… the reason is because of the connection ability of Josh Giddey. That is to me the centrepoint of their entire team.”
Giddey’s vision and feel for the game have always been elite—long his calling card from Oklahoma City. But this season, he’s elevating it, rewarding teammates with open looks and inclusion that makes everyone better. As Legler put it: “Josh Giddey makes you want to play a certain way offensively because you’re going to be rewarded and you’re going to be included. The definition of making your team better, that’s kind of what Josh Giddey is doing right now.”
Betting Odds and MVP Buzz
The hype is bleeding into the betting markets. At Sportsbet, Giddey sits ninth in MVP odds—ahead of Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Brunson, and Stephen Curry. Switch to FanDuel, and he’s tied for ninth with those same stars. Sure, it’s a long shot; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the frontrunner for back-to-back honors amid Oklahoma City’s blistering pace, with Luka Doncic, Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, and Giannis Antetokounmpo lurking as perennial threats.
But Giddey’s ascent is real enough to crack NBA.com’s MVP ladder at No. 6—behind only that consensus top five, and ahead of Maxey, Mitchell, Curry, Brunson, and Austin Reaves. “That really tells the story of how good the Aussie has been,” the league’s site implies. The mere fact he’s in conversations with those names speaks volumes about his winning impact.
Podcaster Adam Mares echoed the sentiment: “I mean honestly if you were making a list, it’s seven games [and] I know this is silly. But if you were making a list of MVP candidates, he’s on the list because they’re 6-1. He’s the motor behind it, his numbers are insane—he’s almost averaging a triple-double.” Mares called him “an All-Star for sure,” especially with the NBA’s rumored “World” team for the All-Star Game this year. Locks like Gilgeous-Alexander and Doncic will dominate the international backcourt, but Giddey’s form makes him a shoo-in amid the guard depth.
Where Giddey could shine brightest? Most Improved Player. He’s the heavy favorite there, a nod to his evolution from a raw prospect to a polished leader.
The Giddey vs. Ball Debate—and What It Means
Giddey’s rise has sparked wild hypotheticals. Gilbert Arenas, on his show, declared he’d take Giddey over LaMelo Ball—the $315 million Hornets star—if building a contender. “The reason you give me Giddey is I don’t have to be a smart general manager,” Arenas explained. “If I have Giddey and I say, ‘Alright, let me get Maxey’. He’s going to mesh with him… If I say, ‘Give me Garland’, who is more of a point guard, he’ll figure it out.”
Of course, not everyone’s sold. Chandler Parsons, on FanDuel’s Run It Back, pushed back: “LaMelo Ball is a franchise-type player, Josh Giddey isn’t. Josh Giddey is a very good point guard. He’s having a very good year. He’s not that talented, highly-touted guy that LaMelo Ball is.” Parsons conceded Giddey as the “better point guard right now,” but on raw talent? “It’s not even close. LaMelo Ball has so much more talent than him.”
The debate itself? It’s a testament to Giddey’s stock soaring. Remember the concerns post-trade from OKC? His $100 million extension raised eyebrows about building around a guard with shooting and defense question marks. Those “knocks” are fading fast.
Bulls legend Stacey King, on the Gimme The Hot Sauce Podcast, went nuclear: “He’s the real deal. He’s got a chance to be a multiple-time All-Star. He’s got a chance to be arguably the best point guard in the league.” King highlighted the growth: “His defence has gotten better… Three-point shooting when he came in was one of the knocks… Well, he’s doing all those things now. He’s shooting close to 45 per cent from the three-point line. He’s going out and guarding people. He’s rebounding the basketball like a power forward… and he has a great feel for the game.”
The Trade Winds: ‘Car Keys’ Situation and ‘Chips In’
Enter Bill Simmons, whose podcast breakdown could reshape Chicago’s winter. He likened the Giddey-Alex Caruso trade to the 2011 Kawhi Leonard deal—a steal that’s paying dividends. “The players who have impressed me; knocked my socks off the most to date (this season)… Giddey has to be number one,” Simmons gushed. “I’m so proud. So few of us liked the Giddey-Caruso trade for Chicago… one of the better trades.”
The Bulls are humming at 6-1, atop the East ahead of New York and Cleveland, despite White’s calf injury sidelining him. Chicago’s shooting lights out, defense is stout, and Giddey’s near-triple-doubles are the glue. But Simmons sees leverage: White’s $12 million expiring deal makes him a prime trade chip.
“They’ve been really fun to watch… what’s interesting through all of it is they’re 6-1, Giddey’s been basically a triple-double this season… and the guy that hasn’t played yet is Coby White,” Simmons noted. “You know who needs a point guard? … I would say Minnesota is leading the way.”
With a “big-ass trade exception,” Chicago can get creative under modern rules. Simmons’ verdict: “If I’m Chicago, I’m now in a ‘car keys’ situation. Like, I’ve struck oil with Josh Giddey. This is not a sample size. This guy is dominating games. He’s getting where he wants on the court and creating what shot he wants. You’ve got something really special happening here.”
“I don’t want Coby White—I’m not paying him next year, I’d rather put my chips into the Giddey basket, and I would try to trade him.”
It’s a bold call, but Giddey’s dominance flips the script. The Bulls, once middling, now have the assets to push for a title run. As Simmons put it: time to go “chips in.”
Here to Stay?
Regardless of trades, this version of Giddey—confident, aggressive, unrelenting—feels permanent. The NBA’s buzzing, from arenas to podcasts. A confident, aggressive version of Josh Giddey looks like it is here to stay—and it has the entire basketball world talking.
If Chicago rides this wave, Giddey won’t just be an All-Star. He’ll be the centerpiece of something special. And with White potentially on the move, the Bulls could be the deadline’s biggest winners. Giddey’s leap isn’t just insane—it’s seismic.