Chicago Bulls: The biggest game of Jim Boylen’s career
By Luke Askew
The Chicago Bulls’ organization has been a dumpster fire over the last few days. Tonight is their first game since the madness began. Here’s why it’s important.
The Chicago Bulls are currently 6-21. They have the second-worst record in the league (worse than teams like the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks) and their record isn’t even close to being the worst part about their team.
After their worst loss in franchise history on Saturday night against the Boston Celtics, the coaching staff experienced some pushback. According to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, there were a couple players who wanted to boycott practice on Sunday. This sort of thing doesn’t point toward newly appointed head coach Jim Boylen having any sort of control in that locker room whatsoever.
Just to catch everyone up, the Bulls fired Fred Hoiberg on December 3, lost to the Celtics by 56 points on December 8 and had an extremely odd practice fiasco on December 9. Everyone up to speed? Still remember that this is a professional basketball team?
As the Bulls quickly race to the top of the “worst-run NBA franchises” list, they now are faced with a more immediate problem: there’s a basketball game to play tonight.
Yes, less than 48 hours after being booed off their home court and being one of the biggest jokes in professional sports, the Bulls are taking the court in Chicago again. This is undoubtedly Jim Boylen’s biggest game in his short time as a head coach. How he handles this game – and how his team responds – will likely play a huge role in whether or not Boylen is still in the Bulls’ locker room after this season.
Tonight, the Bulls play an overachieving Sacramento Kings team. Currently sitting at a relatively impressive 13-12, the Kings have been one of the biggest surprises in the league so far. De’Aaron Fox has taken a huge leap forward and Buddy Hield has proven to be a legitimate NBA scorer. The Kings have a lot of young talent, they’re playing well and somehow they’re in a better position than the beloved Chicago Bulls.
It’s not often Bulls fans should be jealous of Kings fans, but with the way the Kings have been playing so far this season, it’s looking like the grass might be a little greener over in Sacramento.
Obviously, this game doesn’t mean a whole lot for the Bulls in terms of their record. If they lose, they’ll still have a terrible record, and if they win, they’ll still have a terrible record. It’s not like this game will catapult the Bulls into the playoff hunt, but this game is still as important as ever to a team looking for an identity.
If the Bulls come out flat, uninspired and show a general lack of togetherness, it’s going to be hard to defend Boylen as the head coach of this ball club. On the flipside, if they come out aggressive, inspired and ready to turn things around, it will appear as though Boylen might have won back the locker room. Earning the players’ respect is never easy – especially after possibly losing it – that’s why tonight is the biggest night of Jim Boylen’s career.
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In a game filled with uncertainties, one thing you can be sure of is that Boylen won’t be doing that ludicrous 5-man substitution tonight. Clearly, that didn’t sit very well with the team.