Starters Playing Starter-Minutes, A Year of Boylen, LaVine’s … Good Defense? And Other Bulls Bullets

December 3, 2019, by Elias Schuster Chicago Bulls

Yesterday, I had an internet and cable outage for basically 10 hours and – let me tell you – it SUCKED.

When you’re whole job revolves around having access to the internet, not being able to access it is pretty darn inconvenient. During my time in the dark age though, I did some soul searching. While questioning the confines of my inner self, I had one stark realization … life without the internet must have sucked, bro (Michael: I’m just now realizing that you never lived without the internet, Eli!).

The Bulls won a basketball game last night, so here are the highlights!

https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1201841260434280448?s=20

On today’s edition of “Things not to say in a postgame press conference:”

Buddy Hield says the Kings took the Bulls lightly. “We didn’t respect them.” Says the Kings “Can’t be slacking”

— Jason Jones (@mr_jasonjones) December 3, 2019

Let me bask in the glory that a team other than the Bulls finally said something stupid. Hield is currently part of an organization that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2006. I don’t know about you, but if it’s been over a decade since a franchise’s last taste of the postseason, I don’t think you’re in any position to disrespect any opponent at any time.
Jim Boylen actually played his starters like starters!

Wendell Carter Jr. played 37 minutes against Kings, which matched his season-high. He stayed out of foul trouble, and Jim Boylen rode him for the entire 4thQ.

Boylen didn't make any substitutions in the final 7:59 of the game.

— Cody Westerlund (@CodyWesterlund) December 3, 2019

As we’ve mentioned before, Zach LaVine is currently the only Bulls player averaging over 30 minutes per game. Boylen has been sharing the wealth far too often and last night finally put a stop to it. All of the Bulls starters were on the court for over 30 minutes, and while they were all surprisingly on the negative end in the plus-minus category, that’s still refreshing to see. The Bulls starters looked relatively reliable in the fourth quarter, with Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen each hitting some big buckets down the stretch. While there is A LOT to still nitpick about this team, minute distribution and rotation wise, this felt like the look we should see from the Bulls, and Boylen recognized that:

Boylen: "If you look at the box score, that’s how we envisioned this group of guys to look—contributions from everybody. A real solid game from Zach. A real solid game from Lauri. A double-double from Wendell. Sato gets 14 and 5. That’s what we hope it can be more consistently"

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) December 3, 2019

If we’ve learned anything this season, it’s to take what Boylen says with a grain of salt. Chances are next game we’ll see Arcidiacono clock 30 minutes and Zach LaVine play center. Let’s hope this is an actual realization from the head coach though, and he can establish some level of consistent in-game management.

Jim Boylen’s one-year anniversary is today. How are you going to celebrate?

Today marks one year since Jim Boylen succeeded Fred Hoiberg. Boylen reflects on his first year on job: https://t.co/wv2wG0Wdnl

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) December 3, 2019

Since Boylen has taken over, the Bulls are 24-55, showing very little signs of improvement. According to NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson, when Boylen was asked what he would tell the fans, he said: “My message is we have a young, competitive team that is working and learning. I understand your frustration with not winning more. But this is a team that is improving and trying and caring.” Yeah, sorry, that message doesn’t really do it for me. In the third year of this rebuild, the Bulls should be all about winning and nothing about this message tells me that is their top priority.
Hold up. You’re telling me that if you hit your three-pointers … YOU COULD WIN GAMES!? (Sorry, I had a little extra sass in my coffee this morning).

The Bulls shot 43% from behind the arc (16/37) tonight. They're now 6-2 when shooting 39% or better from behind the arc and 1-12 when they shoot worse than 39%.

— Jeff Mangurten (@JeffGurt) December 3, 2019

“Papa, tell us about what the NBA was like before Steph Curry.”

How much has the NBA changed?

In 1983-84 the Bulls as a team hit 20 threes all season.

Zach LaVine has hit 28 threes in the last 5 games

— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) December 3, 2019

Yeah, yeah this is cute and all, but is Zach LaVine grabbing Daniel Gafford’s fist? It’s like when someone goes for a fist bump and you went for the handshake. Just commit.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5mbC0lgMZj/?igshid=wurza0t6q0pi

The Kings were Kingsing very hard yesterday.

Going to nominate Ariza, Dedmon and that James fella for Bulls co-MVPs. Kings bench had a whopping 12 turnovers in limited minutes. Ariza and James were particularly terrible. Bulls ate their lunch. pic.twitter.com/0RfdAYu5Ln

— Jason Patt (@Bulls_Jay) December 3, 2019