Inside the 'Beautiful Mind' of Josh Giddey’s PnR reads

• Josh Giddey breaks down his pick-and-roll reads in a new YouTube video
• He covers the low man, screen angles, ICE, switches, drops and blitzes
• Chicago open their 2026-27 season at Toronto on Thursday, October 22 (AEDT)

Australian Boomers and Chicago Bulls superstar Josh Giddey has dropped a true masterclass on his YouTube Channel, breaking down how he reads pick-and-rolls in the NBA.

It's a true masterclass and a must-watch for all Australian basketballers and fans.

"This video is going to be a little bit different," Giddey said.

"This one is going to be more pick-and-roll stuff.

I'm a point guard. I play a lot of pick-and-roll, so this video is going to be me breaking down different pick-and-roll reads, explaining how I see it, how I read different coverages and how I read where the defence is on the floor.

"There's also the other side of it: how I'm reading my teammates who are either directly involved in the pick-and-roll or are off the ball, respacing or trying to get open for shots.

I'll break it down as best I can – what I'm seeing and what I'm reading as I go through different pick-and-roll situations."

The high-IQ 23-year-old 2.01m guard explains how he identifies the low man, manipulates defenders with his eyes and body, uses screen angles to create advantages and works through passing progressions to decide whether to score, hit the roller or find an open shooter.

Giddey also examines ICE coverage, switches, drops, blitzes and pick-and-pops, stressing that the key is recognising what the defence is giving him and processing those reads in a split second.

Above all, the tutorial highlights the film study, anticipation and rapid decision-making required to run an NBA offence from the point guard position.

Just minutes into the tutorial, it becomes evident why Giddey has 31 triple-doubles.

"As a point guard, you’ve got to be able to see the floor," Giddey said.

"There are a ton of different coverages teams in the NBA use and they change every night. That’s why watching film is so important. You need to know what you’re going to be up against that night.

"You’ve got to be able to handle different coverages.

"Part of a point guard’s responsibility is being able to play in ball screens and make different reads, whether that means finishing the play yourself, finding a teammate or simply making the right play to get out of the pick-and-roll.

"It looks really easy when you slow it down on film, but in a game it’s happening really quickly.

"You’ve got to be able to process the game quickly and understand what’s happening out there."

The Bulls open their 2026-27 season against Kawhi Leonard's Toronto Raptors at 10.30am (AEDT) on Thursday, October 22, in Canada.