Chicago Bulls: 3 goals for the new year
By Luke Askew
3. Make a decision on the coach
Is Jim Boylen the right coach for the Bulls? That’s a tough question to answer right now. Yes, he’s done a better job of winning games than Fred Hoiberg did, but that doesn’t mean he’s the right guy to stick around long term.
In Boylen’s 13 games as head coach, the Bulls are 7th in defensive rating (106.4) and last in offensive rating (98.6). In that same stretch of games, the Bulls are the only team that has an offensive rating of less than 100. The Bulls offense is historically bad and Boylen’s archaic offensive system is hard to watch. But again, the Bulls are winning more than they did under Hoiberg. That might be a coincidence, though.
Stephen Noh of the Athletic highlighted some interesting (and frustrating) sequences from the Bulls/Raptors game. If you hate modern basketball, you’ll love these possessions. If you like modern basketball, then viewer discretion is advised.
Another slow Lopez post up while everyone stands around and watches him back down from the 3-point line.
— Steph Noh (@StephNoh) December 31, 2018
Boylen argues that post ups allow him to set his defense, yet Arch gets cross-matched onto the way bigger Anunoby, who plows right through him. pic.twitter.com/wPQWoWmEiL
I’m not saying Boylen is the wrong guy for the Bulls’ future, but the Bulls’ front office needs to choose a head coach that they feel can stick around for the long haul. If they think Boylen is that guy, fine, but if they (like most of the basketball world) think the Bulls’ young guys could use a modern offensive system to grow in, then they need to move on from Boylen and find someone else.