Thursday, January 9, 2020

What a Load of Bull


Some rebuilds work, others don’t.  At 13-25 and three years removed from the last time they saw .500, the Bulls fall into that second category.

I want to like head coach Jim Boylen, I really do, but he’s a moose caught in the headlights.  Boylen keeps saying his young team is going to learn from its mistakes, in which case they should all be basketball geniuses.  Boylen owns a .313 (!) winning percentage in a season and a half.  If he’s not careful, if his players keep needing to learn, Boylen will be challenging Tim Floyd’s career .280 mark before long.

White Sox fans should count their lucky stars.  Of the two Jerry Reinsdorf-owned teams, theirs looks to be headed in the right direction.  As much as it pains me to say this, at least Sox general manager Rick Hahn has a clue.  And Gar Forman over at the Bulls?

Why, he’s the exec who back in 2011 acquired Niko Mirotic, aka The Next Sure Thing.  Mirotic lasted five seasons (and one punch from Bobby Portis in practice) before deciding he liked European hardcourts better.  But, hey, Forman packaged Mirotic and a second-round draft pick for three bodies and a first-round draft choice.  Anybody seen Chandler Hutchison lately?

Monday, the Bulls played the suddenly-rebuilt Mavericks, losing 118-110 in another one of those learning experiences.  Dallas is now winning thanks in large part to 6’7” guard Luca Doncic, who scored 38 points against those ever-learning students on his way to a triple-double.  Then, last night, the Bulls played the Nets, a team that actually had a worse record.  No more.  Even without injured rookie Zion Williamson, New Orleans prevailed, 123-108.
The mind reels.  So do the Bulls.

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