NEWSLETTER
Where in the world is Jim Boylen?
The game may not be as fun as hunting down Carmen Sandiego, but at least you’ll walk away with more grit and soul!
The Bulls head coach has been traveling around the world to visit his players. His latest stop was in Hamburg, Germany, where he was in attendance to watch new point guard Tomas Satoransky compete with the Czech Republic national team in a tournament overseas. And in Satoransky’s most recent game, he treated Boylen to a 12-point, 11-assist effort against Poland. Not a bad way to make an impression.
To say Boylen has been going out of his way for his players this offseason feels like an understatement. Boylen has now reportedly traveled to see Lauri Markkanen in Finland and Cristiano Felicio in Brazil (but why?). He also intends to visit Otto Porter and Zach LaVine next back stateside. It’s all part of a plot to better connect with the players he is coaching.
“I follow them to build more personal relationships,” Boylen told Czech reporters while visiting Satoransky. “So they know what I pride on, why they are important to us as players, what we try to do in the club. This works great.”
Um, since when did Boylen become kind of cool?
On the court, of course, he still has a lot to prove, but this isn’t a bad way to get on the fans good side. According to BasketballMag, when Boylen went to Pardubice, Czech Republic in June to watch the national team take on Finland, Boylen sat buried away in the stand to avoid standing out (did he also wear a toupee and mustache?). The fact he and the Bulls aren’t publicizing this says a lot about the relationship Boylen is trying to create with his new team. I got to say, in the past, he has been labeled as a “player’s coach,” but now we’re really seeing it.
The guy even helped load heavy bags into the Czech Republic team’s bus after the game, which I’m sure was kind of funny to watch, but that’s beside the point! He rode back to the hotel with Satoransky and then got dinner.
Tomas Satoransky on Jim Boylen: "I'm of course glad that he's here [in Hamburg]. It shows the support not only of the organization, but of the coach, too. We had a good conversation yesterday." #Bulls
— Lukas Kuba (@Luke_Mellow) August 17, 2019
Considering the Bulls desperate need for a legitimate facilitator, Boylen growing his relationship with Satoransky (while also watching him post 11 assists) feels like a great sign for the Bulls.
“I feel that what he has shown against Poland (he) can do for us,” Boylen told media after the game. “That means running fast with the ball to attack, pushing others in front of you, making good decisions. Its (his) strength is that it (he) makes players around it (him) better. And that is what we need. We have young, talented players and Tomas can help us improve them.”
Hey, the last thing this team needs is drama internally, right? Boylen seems to be making up for the harsh first impression he made on his players last season, and you have to give him credit for that.
Now, the only thing the Bulls need to do is stop being so modest about his travel and get me an “Adventures of Jim Boylen” web series. Do I think it would be good? No. Do I think it would be funny? Yes.
