For the longest time, it must've felt pretty lonely out there on the court for Zach Lavine. Too often he was the only Chicago Bulls player who was giving it his best effort to win basketball games. While others were wilting in the face of miserable conditions, he pushed harder. When the 2019-2020 season ended for the Bulls, he was averaging more points (25.5) and rebounds (4.8) than at any other time in his career.
Yet it ultimately meant nothing. It didn't help the team win games. He learned the harsh lesson of other solo stars in the NBA of past and present. It's still a team sport.
So one can guess nobody was more ready for changes to arrive in the organization than him. Asked for the first time about his thoughts on changes in the front office, he certainly didn't sound like someone who lamented Gar Forman being fired or John Paxson having his power stripped away. Quite the opposite actually.
Zach Lavine is careful with his words but his feelings are clear
It didn't stop there either. Lavine was also asked his thoughts on the status of Jim Boylen. It's no secret the guard had some tense moments on and off the court with the Bulls head coach. While he obviously wasn't going to outright demand the new management remove him, Lavine made sure not to offer any sort of endorsement as well.
Boylen has the backing of ownership but the final decision rests with VP Arturas Karnisovas. He and GM Marc Eversley have spent time interviewing players and asking their thoughts about how the season went. All indications are that the head coach didn't exactly have a ton of people demanding he stay. Lavine doesn't sound like he'll cry if he goes too. If the changes are coming, in his mind they need to go all the way.
Comments
Join the discussion below. Keep it civil and focused on the content.
Loading comments...