Chicago media man hits back at 'insane' Giddey criticism

• Meet Australia's $307M(!!) Boomers backcourt
• Every Dyson Daniels Atlanta Hawks game in 2026-27
• Every Josh Giddey Chicago Bulls game in 2026-27

A Chicago media personality has hit back at commentary that Australian Josh Giddey can't be the starting point guard for a successful NBA franchise, calling the notion "absolutely ridiculous" on the eve of the 2026-27 season.

Giddey is preparing for his third season with the franchise Michael Jordan made famous and there is increased hype surrounding the team after drafting former University of North Carolina star Caleb Wilson and adding Tiago Splitter as head coach.

The 24-year-old would've been in calculations for an All-Star appearance last season if the team was winning, averaging almost a triple-double at 17 points as well as 9.1 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 36% from the three-point line.

But even with his improvement in recent years, other media personalities in Chicago and around the NBA, said either Giddey should be on the trading block and the Bulls couldn't become a true success with him at point guard.

It's something Philip Charles Vanderheyden IV, the co-host of the Chicago Bulls Breeze and Bulls Without Borders, strongly disagreed with in a post on X.

"I'm truly sick of talking about Josh Giddey's worth," he wrote.

"I only keep talking about it because the disrespect gets loud repeatedly when he's done nothing to earn it.

"I want to leave my thoughts at this: I started playing & watching basketball when I was 7 years old... I was coached that the Point Guard had one objective: Making your teammates better.

"So when the Chicago Bulls bring in a player who ranks in the 98th percentile for creating wide open shots for his teammates multiple years in a row, I think that's fuckin' awesome. Players like Steph Curry, SGA and Jalen Brunson have added to the definition of Point Guard, as they've shown that your primary ballhandler can also be your primary scorer, and you can win championships that way.

"But instead of that style being ADDED to what winning team composition looked like when it comes to the Point Guard position, it REPLACED it. I don't think that's fair nor does it make sense. Just because teams have won that way recently, doesn't mean that you have to win that way.The folks who say you can't win with Giddey tend to insist that your team can't win with a pass-first Point Guard.  I just don't agree. I've watched pass-first Point Guards win repeatedly in my lifetime. That style didn't become less effective. It just became less common.

"Let's say Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis become a Top 5 duo in the NBA, and they're just absolutely BALLING. People would have me believe that regardless of how good they are, the team would lose if Josh Giddey was playing Point Guard? That notion is absolutely ridiculous to me. I'm not saying Giddey should be your 1st or 2nd best player. I'm simply saying you can build a championship roster that includes him starting for you, and I don't understand why there is so much fight against idea.

"Would the Shaq/Kobe Lakers have lost if Giddey was their starting PG instead of Derek Fisher? Would the MJ/Pippen Bulls have lost if Giddey was the starting PG instead of Paxson or Harper? If you're saying Yes to those questions, I think you're insane."

Vanderheyden said Giddey had become a scapegoat for the Bulls.

"The arguments against him act as if he actively holds the Bulls back from winning. I've played & watched basketball for too long to suddenly believe that someone who contributes like Giddey is a net negative to your team. I've said what I wanted to say. I want to be done talking about this, but I know that's likely impossible given the constant need to use him as a scapegoat," he said.

"I hope Josh Giddey knows there are many Bulls fans out here who are rooting for him to succeed and who do appreciate his contributions to the team. They just aren't as loud as the negative ones, unfortunately."

Now, it's over to Giddey to prove the doubters wrong, and he has the keys to do it in an exciting team with Wilson and Matas Buzelis as well as free agency recruit Norman Powell, who will provide much-needed spacing for Splitter's outfit.

The Bulls' season tips-off on Thursday away against the Toronto Raptors.