With the amount of shuffle that NBA teams go through on a regular basis, they need a few pillars for the franchise. As a result, any organization typically tries to first find its centerpiece before surrounding it with the right pieces. It is a tried and tested formula that virtually every team applies.
Recognizing that level of talent, though, is an altogether different endeavor. With people having their own biases or requirements on what they want in a potential franchise cornerstone. However, less than 10 games into the season, former NBA star Gilbert Arenas was ready to crown Josh Giddey with some high praise.
Josh Giddey Resurgence
The start of the 2025-26 NBA season has brought one of the most unlikely teams to the forefront of national attention, thanks to an electric 6-1 start. The Chicago Bulls, in a surprising twist from the last decade-plus, are suddenly a viable, excellent team.
Ranked as the first seed in the Eastern Conference, they’ve been steadily racking up wins on the back of a deep roster full of hardworking players. However, the epicenter of their success can be directly linked to just one player.
When the Bulls got Giddey back in return for Alex Caruso, it felt like they had been sold short. But just one year after becoming the lead orchestrator on a team he can call his own, the Australian has gotten off to a mind-blowing start.
Alongside the success in Chicago, Giddey has started the season in blistering form, averaging 23.1 points, 10 rebounds, and 9.1 assists per game, with an absurd shooting split of 49.6% from the field and 41.9% from 3-point range.
It has prompted some high praise towards the youngster, as he seems to have found his role with the Bulls. But no praise was higher than the one Arenas bestowed upon him on the latest episode of the “Arena Show.”
“The reason you give me Giddey is because I don’t have to be a smart general manager,” he explained as his rationale for wanting the former Oklahoma City Thunder star as his franchise cornerstone over LaMelo Ball.
A former third overall pick, Ball entered the league with a ton of hype, as many believed he could ascend to become an MVP candidate. But the former All-Star hasn’t captured those heights, as he remains an injury concern, while the Charlotte Hornets loiter around the bottom of the league.
Further explaining his rationale, Arenas added that he believed Giddey could mesh with a variety of styles and be effective regardless of who his teammates were. An explosive start has already vaulted him up in NBA circles.
But continuing this hot start over the course of the season is ultimately going to end up deciding just how good Giddey can be and what his ceiling could be.
