Josh Giddey wasn't a factor at the free throw line through his first several years in the NBA. The 6-foot-8 Australian guard averaged 1.7 free throw attempts per game through three years with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Using his big frame to shield off defenders and draw contact on drives simply wasn't in his repertoire. And, of course, the emergence of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander eventually limited the amount of reps Giddey would get to become a force driving to the rim anyway. Enter Chicago, and Giddey looks like a new player.

Giddey's first year in Chicago is now infamous, including a 15-4 run to end the regular season, and a miracle 3-point shot to sink the (new at the time) LeBron James and Luka Doncic-led Los Angeles Lakers. But the biggest storylines from Giddey's first year with the Bulls was just how much he improved on his weaknesses, shooting 37.8% from 3-point range and attempting a career-best 3.2 free throws per game. But the Melbourne native has taken his foul-drawing skills to the next level at the start of the 2025-26 season.

At the time of this writing, Giddey has missed consecutive games due to an ankle sprain he suffered against the Cleveland Cavaliers. But before his prolonged absence, Giddey was showcasing his newfound ability to draw contact early and often. 

Through nine games, Giddey has collected 5.9 free throw attempts per game. That figure is up from what was then a career-best 3.2 FTAs per game over his first season in Chicago. To further show how impressive that increase was, Giddey saw his free throw attempt rate (FTr) increase from 28.1% last season, to 35.6% this year, a figure that puts him on the same level as Donovan Mitchell when it comes to getting to the charity stripe.

The biggest advantage that Giddey possesses over other guards is court vision and height. The court vision was on display anytime he took the floor, but his height wasn't providing him with any big advantages on offense. In Giddey's first season in Chicago, he started to use his frame to shield off defenders on his drives to the rim. But in his second season with the Bulls, we have seen Giddey look downright "Shai Gilgeous-Alexander-like" at times when with his fearlessness driving into the paint and taking a hit. 

Through nine games this season Giddey is taking 31.5% of his FGAs 0-3 feet from the basket per Basketball-Reference. This is the highest figure of his career, and yet another number that shows just how much Giddey is downhill. Basketball-Reference has Giddey at 66% on those FGAs between 0-3, the second-highest mark of his career.

Chicago has struggled as a team recently, losing four straight games, with Giddey being out with an ankle injury for the last two losses of that streak. A lot of numbers are trending down for the Bulls, but Giddey's penchant for getting to free throw line looks like it is here to stay. In his final game before his extended absence, Giddey was 5-5 from the free throw line over 33 minutes. And over Chicago's five-game win streak to open the year, Giddey was again the engine for the offense with 6.8 FTAs per game during that stretch. 

The 23-year old guard has a long way to go as a player. His age was always the primary reason anyone doubting his ability to improve should've been dubious to most. But even the biggest Giddey supporters would admit 38.5% from 3-point range and 5.9 FTAs per game to start the year is shocking, as it indicates quite a bit of progress in a short amount of time. 

The Bulls is still be searching for a true "superstar" to build their team around, but Giddey's rapid development seems to indicate that in a year or two, it might be clear that Chicago's latest star has already been on the roster.

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