It’s time that the Bulls make a final decision on who will serve as head coach next season, opines Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Chicago recently hired Arturas Karnisovas as executive vice president of basketball operations. The job security of current head coach Jim Boylen, which is uncertain, the decision will ultimately fall in the hands of Karnisovas and his team.
“Coaching in the league is very difficult,” Karnisovas said in a recent Zoom call, according to Cowley. “To make a decision about coaching is really hard. It’s probably the hardest thing for executives. So I look at a lot of aspects. I’ve had numerous conversations.
“Talking to players and coaches, obviously everyone is disappointed with the results last year. They definitely underperformed. . . . [But] in order for me to keep players and coaches accountable, I have to have personal relationships with them. That’s what I need to cultivate.’’
The Bulls finished with the fifth-worst record in the East at 22-43 this season, failing to secure an invite for the NBA’s restart in Orlando next month.
Boylen has elicited mixed feelings from players, staffers, and fans since succeeding Fred Hoiberg as coach in December of 2018. Chicago has failed to make the playoffs in each of the past three seasons, currently sporting a nucleus of Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen and others.
There’s more from the Central Division tonight:
- Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press looks at how new Pistons general manager Troy Weaver could avoid failure by examining some of the franchise’s past mistakes. Weaver, who most recently served as vice president of basketball operations with the Thunder, was hired by Detroit last week. The Pistons accrued just a 20-46 record on the season and have reached the playoffs just twice in the past ten years.
- Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com examines some pressing offseason topics for the Cavaliers, including Kevin Love‘s future and the chances of Tristan Thompson returning in free agency. Cleveland hopes to have Thompson return for a 10th consecutive season, but the 29-year-old is set to enter unrestricted free agency with the team also acquiring star center Andre Drummond ($28.7MM player option) last February.
It seems that Bulls Cavs Pistons Knicks want Ball
All signals indicate Ball is top 3 lock.
Is LaMelo going to be the next Carmelo Anthony?
That is a very high mark for anyone to reach, I mean Melo is a lock in HoF, so that is gotta be a compliment to any player, right?
lamelo is by far a pass first guard (post chino hills). His game and carmelos are not very alike at all
I think Anthony Edwards is the consensus first overall pick and then after that it’s abit all over the place.
You have Wiseman, Toppin, Ball, Hayes, Anthony, Avidja and Okungwu.
I think In about 3 years time we will be saying Edwards was smart at 1 but Cole Anthony, James Wiseman and Obi Toppin are the next best players then you have LaMelo ball who will show glimpses.
Think Cole Anthony could be a potential sleeper in this draft cause teams don’t seem so high on him but that could be a good thing. Slipping to a better franchise outside the top 10. I’d rather fall to a good franchise at 12 like Donovan Mitchell then go early and have big expectations and critics like Kevin Knox, Dennis Smith Jr and so on
Ball will be a bust and his dad will blame everything else besides the fact that he cant shoot, score, defend…
He can pass. Wow! Most point guards can. Has he ever tried to “pass” vs nba caliber defense and defenders? The kid will make some money in his initial contract, but its questionable if he’ll even get another significant one past that. It as said he’s better than Lonzo. I think he’ll show that he’s not.
*Its been said he’s better than Lonzo…
Lonzo has actually looked very good since going to New Orleans. Even though the Lakers are the better team this year, the future is much brighter for the Pelicans with the young talent they have.
Ball is overrated. If he does develop. It will take 4 yrs. That’s best case scenario. Knicks don’t want no part of that. Rather have Lonzo. Okoro wo is not getting a lot of press. Will be a solid pro for 12 yrs. He is best 2 way player in draft. His offense is not there yet. But I don’t see why it shouldn’t develop. He’s a smart player. Good passer and team player. For me at 6-7 if Halliburton is gone. I would be happy with him.
Bulls need a real PG. Halliburton fits well with them. Cole could also fit with them. I don’t see why Bulls aren’t looking at Atkinson. He could help them too.
Cavs should just let Thompson go. A top 3 pick is a nice, solid pick this yr. I would stay away from Ball. IMO Cavs should go all in on full rebuild. Forget Thompson, get ready to trade Drummond n Love.
Been watching a lot of video on woods. I know he had a small run. I can tell you athletically. At his size, looks very good. His mechanics on his shot is good. For. Big he shows good instincts on getting his shot off. Even when he shoots of the bounce. His attitude and basketball instincts are very high. He played with something to prove. Some guys develop late. Probably was not given a good chance. So he went after it. My instincts tell me. Knicks are going all out to sign him. He’s better than Randle now. He’ll fit better than Randle. And he’s only 24. I still don’t want to overpay. But I definitely see Knicks going after him. Pistons probably best bet is do sign n trade. Knicks will offer at least 15 mill.
Okoro is going to be trash. He plays 30 mins per night and struggled to score more than 12 points per game. He shot under 30% on threes and his under 70% from Free Throw indicates his shot isn’t very good. Usually when people struggle at the line in college and aren’t great shooting in general it means they need a lot of work on their shot and most of them need to re make their shot.
I think he isn’t getting press cause he doesn’t deserve it. If you look at the other SFs in this class they all have some potential. Avdija is a playmaking wing, Nesmith is a solid shooter, McDaniels is very tall and has a decent shot, I think Okoro isn’t even a top 15 player
Why everybody likes to hate on Lamelo? Can’t for the life of me understand that… but when all is said & done the 3 best players in this draft, no argument about it are Wiseman, Lamelo & Avidja. Any team that don’t pick them will regret that decision for years to come!
Seems like the Bulls aren’t sure what they want to do…feel like they’ve been in flux since the Thibs era ended
That’s generous. Most people argue they haven’t know what to do since 1999, 2003 at latest. That’s when GarPax took over. Long nite indeed