1) Chicago Bulls that were worst off under Boylen: Thaddeus Young
A seemingly poor fit between the likes of veteran forward Thaddeus Young and the Bulls in the third year of the rebuild was magnified by the unusual and against the grain way that he was often utilized by Boylen. This 6-foot-8 and 235 pound forward and former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket has a well established skill set and reputation around the NBA.
But for some reason GarPax and/or Boylen decided that the best role for Young was coming off the bench as a stretch big man or three-and-D wing. While Young can space the floor, his natural spot to play on offense is closer to the paint. He’s actually pretty good on the drive-and-kick when he’s able to find his open teammates beyond the arc.
It was weird how his shooting percentage was down by around eight points from two-point range and up five percentage points from beyond the arc during the 2019-20 season.
Young played in 64 games during the shortened 2019-20 regular season for the Bulls (16 of which he started in). He averaged 10.3 points per game, 4.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.4 blocks. And Young shot 44.8 percent from the field, 35.6 percent from beyond the arc, and 58.3 percent from the free-throw line.
It’s hard to tell how the new front office regime is going to treat Young’s situation. He still might be the first piece in mind that this team tries to move if a good trade deal emerges. It might be worth salvaging both the value that he brings to the table and his reputation around the NBA and trade him before the Bulls mess with his usual role any further.