The NBA season may have long been over for Chicago Bulls fans, but Josh Giddey gave them a reason to closely follow the men’s basketball event of the 2024 Paris Games aside from the high-flying members of Team USA.
The 2024 Paris Olympics basketball Group Phase has concluded. With some great individual and team performances thus far, there are several teams who have their sights set on gold.
This includes Australia, who went 2-1 in Group B. One of Australia’s best players is Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey who has averaged 15.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists in three games.
Helping lead Australia to the knockout round, Giddey has done a bit of everything for his country.
HoopsHype has been releasing an updated Olympics MVP ladder based on their Global Rating, and Giddey currently ranks 15th over Team USA stars like Devin Booker and Anthony Davis.
Giddey is the second ranked Australian on this list, with his teammate Jock Landale coming in fourth behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, and RJ Barrett.
It’s important to note that a list like this is going to be impacted by a player’s role on their respective team, as Giddey is relied upon much more on Australia’s roster than players like Davis and Booker are for Team USA.
Top 2 players in the MVP vote: Jokic and Shai.
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) August 3, 2024
Top 2 players at the Olympics: Shai and Jokic. pic.twitter.com/O3NB205zh9
Josh Giddey’s poor play vs. Greece may become cause of concern for Chicago Bulls fans
During Australia 77-71 loss to Greece, Josh Giddey posted nine points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and a block. However, his five turnovers and 2-for-8 shooting on the floor contributed to the Boomers’ loss at the hands of the Greeks.
Pippen Ain’t Easy’s Alex Johnson detailed how the 21-year-old guard struggled to get into the game when he was stifled by the Greek defense in the first half:
Giddey never really got into the flow in the first half as he went 0-3 from the field with four points on free throws. Even when Giddy would take control at the point, he did not play with much pace as the game was played primarily in the half court. He added just one assist with three turnovers. The Boomers trailed by 17 going into the 2nd half.