‘He’s doing it tonight’: Aussies clash in physical play as Giddey lifts amid criticism — LIVE

It is the second meeting between juxtaposed Australian guards Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels on Saturday; in Chicago for the first time this season.

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Giddey’s Bulls (6-10) meet Daniels’ Hawks (7-9) as the teams jostle for positioning in a weak Eastern Conference.

Chicago rallied to beat Atlanta by 12 points in the clubs’ first clash in the south-east in early November, with the sides to meet two more times this season after Saturday’s bout; once in each city.

Giddey and Daniels came shoulder-to-shoulder in a physical first-quarter play, as Giddey finished a Bulls fast-break with a dunk after laying a small bump on Daniels on the way through.

Evidently playing with more energy, Giddey scored six points and added three assists to cap the first period. Daniels, meanwhile, went 0-4 in the early going.

“That’s what I’d like to see more of from Josh Giddey — put the ball on the floor and use that 6’8 frame to get to the rim,” Bulls broadcast analyst Stacey King said.

“He’s doing it tonight and it’s paying off for the Bulls in the early going.”

However, Giddey also committed two first-quarter fouls.

Giddey remained aggressive and facilitative in the second quarter, tallying five assists with his six points on 3-4 shooting as Chicago took a seven-point lead into half-time.

Meanwhile, Daniels notched his first steal of the night to extend his lead atop the league’s steal charts, but his struggles from the field remained — he finished the half 1-7 from the field for two points with four rebounds.

The second coming-together of Giddey and Daniels offers a reminder of the Aussies’ starkly contrasted NBA trajectories.

Giddey, while he has flashed trademark half-court and transition playmaking, remains a doormat on defence and turnover-prone.

“Is he going to be an elite defender in the NBA? Probably not,” Chicago head coach Billy Donovan said of the 6’8 ball-handler.

“He can master coverage, he can master footwork, he can master, ‘I’m 6-foot-8, I don’t need to close all the way out, I need to figure out my foot speed, I don’t need to get blown by.’

“He has size and IQ, (but) I do think he’s got to get way more physical in my opinion.”

Of Giddey’s footwork in particular, Donovan said: “No, it’s got to be much better. I would liken it to he’s got to become an expert in coverages. He’s got to be really great and detailed in that.”

In 16 games this season, Giddey has averaged a per-game plus-minus of -7.06. He has finished in plus territory just seven times thus far.

“That, for me, is the most important thing,” Giddey said.

“Plus-minus is not always accurate, but it is a good representation of the impact a player has while he’s on the floor. So, I’ve always wanted to keep that in the plus.

“As you guys know I’m very hard on myself, and I think that’s a great way to dictate your impact on the game.”

Giddey, whose value is seemingly decreasing by the week, will become a restricted free agent at season’s end after he and the Bulls were unable to come to terms on a contract extension in the pre-season.

On the other side of the coin, Daniels has improved his game in leaps and bounds in season 2024-25 — emerging as not only a Most Improved Player candidate but a Defensive Player of the Year chance.

And while his specialty is defence, the third-year guard has also added to his offensive package to supplement superstar Trae Young in a new-look Atlanta backcourt.

In 14 games this season, Daniels has averaged 14.6 points per game — up from 5.8 in his final season with New Orleans — 4.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 3.1 steals — the best clip in the NBA by a fair margin — and 1.0 blocks.

The 22-year-old, whose impressive 44 steals for the season are nine clear of the next-best Tari Eason, has embraced his teammate’s new nickname for him.

“I like it. Great Barrier Thief. That’s not a bad one,” Daniels said when asked about the new moniker, given to him by Hawks forward Larry Nance Jr.

“It’s better than the one he had for me. He (Nance) used to call me ‘Dys Spice’ — but Great Barrier Thief, I’m happy with it.”

Three-point shooting remains the key improvement point for Daniels — managing a measly 28.8 per cent clip for the season — but his two-way fit alongside Young has inspired renewed confidence in Atlanta.