Are the Bulls a Cesspool for Young Talent?

This was a season in which the Bulls were supposed to take strides towards the postseason. It would be the step fans were waiting for since the rebuild began during the 2017 NBA Draft. Finally, everyone would know it the right core was in place for sustained success going forward.

Instead, the Bulls are 14–27 at the halfway point, and the alleged future of the franchise largely has disappointed. There’s an outside chance Zach LaVine might still become an All-Star, but he hasn’t established himself as a player every team just has to have as its centerpiece. Lauri Markkanen got off to a rough start and has gotten a little better lately in spite of attempting only 12 field goals a game. Wendell Carter Jr. already had a limited offensive ceiling before going down with an ankle injury, and Coby White’s 37.8 field-goal percentage is the lowest of any Bull who has played at least 25 games.

So many questions surround the Bulls’ play and identity, and many are surprised that they’ve struggled with all the young talent they’ve had. Hall of Famers Charles Barkley and Tracy McGrady took to ESPN outlets Tuesday to express their bewilderment as to what’s going on.

These comments from a couple of guys who know how basketball works raise a lot of questions. Perhaps the biggest one is whether Jim Boylen is stifling everyone’s growth with his system and philosophy. Sure, the Bulls are crushing it in most turnovers caused a game (17.2), but their trap defense creates openings that opponents will exploit if they can. While the offense emphasizes 3–pointers and shots at the rim like it should, but it still ranks near the bottom of the NBA, and any thoughts about them going for midrange and post-up opportunities have been discouraged by Boylen and his staff.

Coupled with a reluctance to play Denzel Valentine more than Shaquille Harrison and barely less than Luke Kornet, it’s not hard to make the argument that the Bulls are a destination where promising young talent goes to die. Any chance players like LaVine, Markkanen and so forth have to become anything more than they are has been stymied in the name of Boylen’s philosophy and John Paxson’s approval of that philosophy. Legends of the game recognize it, fans recognize it, but the higher-ups in the Bulls organization either don’t or won’t. The result is what we’re forced to watch every single night.

Though K.C. Johnson reports in his midseason analysis that the Bulls will look to add to their front office in the offseason, it’s unlikely anyone of note who’s currently in power will be launched except possibly Gar Forman. Jerry Reinsdorf continues to hold both Paxson and Boylen in high regard, so they’re not going anywhere. This only can amount to changes being unimpressive at best and cosmetic at worst. That means next year could be a repeat of this year unless the Bulls somehow land the top pick in the draft, which has come to be the only way they can reshape their team because of their inability to attract premier free agents.

It’s worth asking if the members of the current core will jump ship the first chance they get so they might have a better chance of flourishing elsewhere. Markkanen is a restricted free agent after next year, which is when Carter will be up for a club option before hitting restricted free agency himself the following year. LaVine has two years left on his contract, and White will have club options for the 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons. That’s a long time for their games to go either way and seemingly longer for Boylen to further poison them and future Bulls with a way that simply doesn’t work, at least not with these players.

While Jimmy Butler flourishes in Miami and Derrick Rose enjoys revitalized success as a sixth man in Detroit, the Bulls continue to fall backwards with talent that was lauded when it first came into the league, and it all starts with those calling the shots. The longer it takes for changes to take place, the further the franchise will be set back, the more anyone with even a shred of of high potential will look to leave, and the more United Center attendance will fall. Before long, it will look no better than the Blackhawks did during Bill Wirtz’s final years of ownership. It’s doubtful anyone wants the franchise best known for Michael Jordan to regress to that.