Considering how the Bulls have been battling of late, it’s a wonder that they were actually regular fodder for late-night comedy fare at the start of the season. Forget the positive outlook the front office tried to imbibe heading into their 2018-19 campaign; with questionable signings juxtaposing uninspired sideline direction, they were slated to once again be on the wrong side of dysfunctional. The replacement of underwhelming Fred Hoiberg with erstwhile assistant Jim Boylen as head coach did little to stem the swoon; in fact, it was exacerbated by the newly minted mentor’s military machinations.
And then came clarity — or, at the very least, small steps into it as the season progressed. After bull sessions (pun wholly intended) and continual communication between Boylen and his charges shed more light on the method behind the madness of his coaching style, the Bulls began showing improvement on the court. It also helped that executives Gar Heard and John Paxson went about providing him with talent that fit his system and firmed up the pecking order. The acquisition of Otto Porter Jr. at the trade deadline has been a decided boon, and not simply because it wound up unleashing the best parts of cornerstone Lauri Markkanen’s game.
True, the deal comes at a cost to the Bulls. Beyond the departure of Jabari “They don’t pay players to play defense” Parker and perennial enigma Bobby Portis, they’ve tied themselves to Porter’s contract, deemed expensive for a hardworking third wheel at best. On the other hand, there can be no arguing with the immediate results; including yesterday’s dramatic victory against the vaunted Sixers, they’ve gone a heady seven and five since the roster change. Over their last 10 outings, only the Bucks, Raptors, and Pistons — all bounds for the playoffs — have sported better records in the East.
Admittedly, the Bulls will have to wait a while, make that a long while, before they come close to reliving their glory days during the Jordan Era. They’ve long relinquished their status as a desirable destination for free agents (hence their willingness to use up much of their salary cap space on Porter), and they continue to possess infirmities that prevent them from contending with consistency. That said, they’ve stopped being a punchline. Finally, they’re trying. Finally, they’re trending in the right direction. And, perhaps one day sooner rather than later, they’ll be able to live up to their name.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.
