Zach LaVine and Wendell Carter Jr. Talk About Change After Another Ugly Loss and Other Bulls Bullets

Anyone else planning to sit on the couch all day and not move? Cool.

  • Don’t underestimate the Chicago Bulls’ ability to make a bad situation worse. Despite a surging Coby White and the return of Wendell Carter Jr. and Denzel Valentine to the rotation, the Bulls still managed to lose by double figures to the New York freakin’ Knicks. The game marked the team’s 10th loss in the last 11 games, and threw them 20 games under .500.
  • The Bulls have about 238 reasons why they should make significant organizational changes this offseason, but two losses to the 2019-2020 Knicks is pretty darn high on the list. I wrote about this a bit last night in the postgame, so I’m not going to full-on rant again, but one of the few comforting facts for Bulls fans over the last few years has been that the Knicks dumpster fire has burned a little brighter. And while the Bulls do have a chance to at least split the season series still with a game later this month, this franchise has already lost the battle of the bums. Perhaps the Bulls could turn around their luck faster, but the Knicks organization has given themselves a head start by firing their head coach and hiring a new front office face midseason. With that being the case, last night’s loss kind of felt like the Knicks trying to pass the “laughing stock of the league ” torch to Chicago.
  • Fortunately, the Bulls players seem to be just as fed up as we are. Thaddeus Young, Zach LaVine, Tomas Satoransky, and Wendell Carter Jr. all voiced their frustrations after last night’s game, and you can read all their thoughts thanks to The Athletic. Expectedly, LaVine was the most candid about the organization’s need for a massive culture change: “There’s a lot of different factors, man,” he told Darnell Mayberry. “I don’t think some people played up to par. I don’t think we did the right things, game to game. We fight, but we obviously don’t get the end result that we need. So something’s got to change. You’ve got to do something to get those wins and stop stockpiling (those) losses. I think there’s a lot of things that you’ve got to take into consideration and you’ve got to look at in the offseason.”
  • When the most important player is saying that the organization must completely re-evaluate things, I think it’s fair to say the team hit rock bottom. I’d LOVE to hear LaVine elaborate on what “things” he wants this franchise to take into consideration, but it might take another brutal loss to the Knicks to get that out of him.
  • The second best quote in The Athletic’s piece came from Carter Jr., who called out his team for caring more about their individual success than winning: “We say it’s a team thing, but it’s more of an individual thing. Everybody’s got to be able to look at themselves and know that even though we go out there and play well individually, we didn’t play well as a team. So if we can have everybody to understand that individual stats or someone doing something individually very, very good doesn’t lead to wins, including myself. We’ve just got to learn that none of that shit matters if we’re not winning.”
  • I know this kind of sounds like he’s calling out Zach LaVine or Coby White, but I really don’t think that’s intentional. I just think he’s pointing out that the Bulls locker room is by no means a connected unit, and that’s what happens when you have toxic leadership. I’m sure the mixture of injuries, losses, and constant league-wide ridicule has caused many of these players to throw in the towel.
  • Okay, but all this suckiness must mean the Bulls are positioning themselves well for the draft, right!?
  • https://twitter.com/StephNoh/status/1234131010054475778?s=20

  • Son of a –
  • Time for my daily praise of Coby White! He continued his strong play with his 4th consecutive 20+ point game yesterday. As much as the Bulls suck, they do seem to have yet another talented young piece to build around. The goal now, hire an entirely new staff and player development team so they don’t screw this up!
  • White spoke about his first season in Chicago during NBC Sports’ Wire to Wire documentary, and like everything he does, it was a lot of fun.
  • At the end of the day, I love my job (he whispers to himself as he holds back tears).
  • written by

    Elias Schuster is the Lead Chicago Bulls writer at Bleacher Nation. He started with BN full-time in 2019 immediately after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a degree in Journalism (yes, he started with the Jim Boylen Era). Since joining, Elias has been the driving force behind Bulls and NBA content for both the site and social accounts. You can follow him on Twitter/X @Schuster_Elias.

    more bulls news

    What Would be the Best Draw for the Chicago Bulls in the Play-In Tournament?

    Nine games stand between the Chicago Bulls and the Play-In Tournament. I know ... yippie! Practically locked into the No. 9 seed, this puts them in line to host the No. 10 seed at the United Center in Round 1....

    Best Defense of the Season, Playing Big, Javonte Green’s Instant Impact, and Other Bulls Bullets

    Lose to the 14-win Wizards one game and hold the Pacers' elite offense to their worst performance of the season the next. Your 2023-24 Chicago Bulls, everyone! As I said in last night's Enhanced Box Score, I'm now even more...

    WOW: Minnesota Timberwolves Sale to Alex Rodriguez Falls Through

    The Minnesota Timberwolves dropped a bomb on Thursday morning. According to a statement released by the Timberwolves and Lynx ownership group, the franchise is no longer for sale. A transition of power was thought to be in place over the...

    Enhanced Box Score: Bulls 125, Pacers 99 – March 27, 2024

    I got to be honest, I'm even more upset about the Washington Wizards' loss. If the Chicago Bulls played like they did tonight, they would have beaten that depleted Wizards team by 40. This was a locked-in group from the...

    Javonte Green Makes Bulls Return… Immediately Does Awesome Stuff

    Javonte Green has officially made his Chicago Bulls debut ... again. The 30-year-old signed with the organization via a 10-day hardship deal on March 22. Injuries to Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, and Julian Phillips paved the way for...

    WATCH: Alex Caruso Snatches Rookie Ben Sheppard’s Ankles

    Alex Caruso will always be known for his defense capabilities, but he's showing a lot more than that this season. The veteran guard is averaging double-digit points for the first time in his career. A big part of that has...

    Draymond Green Ejected Less Than 4 Minutes Into Game Against Orlando

    Draymond Green was at it again on Wednesday night. Out East to take on the Orlando Magic, the Golden State Warriors watched Paolo Banchero bulldoze Andrew Wiggins to the rim early in the first quarter. As Banchero high-fived his teammates...

    Pre-Gamin’: Indiana Pacers at Chicago Bulls (7:00 CT), Projected Lineups, How to Watch, More

    Everything was awful on Tuesday. Be Better. https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1772971933161705610?s=20 Game Info Indiana Pacers (41-32) at Chicago Bulls (34-38) – 7:00 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Chicago (TV) and 670 The Score (Radio) Projected Starting Lineups Chicago Bulls Coby White Alex Caruso Ayo Dosunmu...

    Around the Association: Caitlin Clark Gets Big(3) Offer, Knicks Getting Help, Lakers OT Thriller, More

    It's hard to believe we have less than three weeks remaining in the NBA's regular season, and we should be in for some real drama down the stretch. The Knicks have plenty to play for in their remaining 11 games...

    WHOA: NCAA Looking to Ban Prop Betting on All College Athletes

    As the NCAA men's basketball tournament gears up for the Sweet Sixteen, the college sports world received some big news. On Wednesday morning, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that NCAA president Charlie Baker wants to officially ban prop betting on college...

    Latest News

    Rome Odunze Has a Visit With the Bears Coming Soon

    If you aren't already familiar with Rome Odunze's name or game, your time will come. The University of Washington wide receiver is one of the top prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. At this point of the year, I've officially...

    Matt Eberflus Opens a Window to the Chicago Bears Draft Plans

    NFL coaches are notoriously tight-lipped. And in his first two seasons as Bears head coach, Matt Eberflus has been no different. But every once in a while you'll catch Eberflus peel back the curtain and provide some insight regarding the...

    How to Watch Braves vs. Phillies: Live Stream or on TV

    The Atlanta Braves, with Spencer Strider on the mound, take on the Philadelphia Phillies (who will counter with Zack Wheeler) in their opening game of the season, at 3:05 PM ET on Friday.Keep reading to find out all the details...

    Jonas Valančiūnas Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Bucks – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    On Thursday at 8:00 PM ET, the New Orleans Pelicans play the Milwaukee Bucks, and Jonas Valančiūnas' 3-pointer prop for this clash requires just one trey.Jonas Valančiūnas' Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the BucksJonas Valanciunas' over/under for three-pointers in this game:...

    What Would be the Best Draw for the Chicago Bulls in the Play-In Tournament?

    Nine games stand between the Chicago Bulls and the Play-In Tournament. I know ... yippie! Practically locked into the No. 9 seed, this puts them in line to host the No. 10 seed at the United Center in Round 1....

    Top 25 College Basketball Picks and Best Bets: March 28

    The Illinois Fighting Illini and the Iowa State Cyclones hit the court in one of four games on the college basketball slate on Thursday that include a ranked team.How to Bet on Top 25 Games[lasso rel="draftkings-promo-1" id="299003"]Top 25 Games for...

    What Does a Chicago Bears NFL Draft Trade Down Look Like?

    You'd think we'd be well-versed in trade-back options after months of wondering what kind of haul it would take for the Bears to move off taking quarterback Caleb Williams with the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. But trading...

    Diamondbacks vs. Rockies Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Arizona Diamondbacks begin their season as -226 favorites in a home tilt against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on ARID.Arizona's Zac Gallen and Colorado's Kyle Freeland have been named the starters for this contest.Diamondbacks...

    Mariners vs. Red Sox Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Seattle Mariners start their season as home favorites (-155) in a matchup with the Boston Red Sox on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on NESN from T-Mobile Park.Seattle's Luis Castillo and Boston's Brayan Bello have been named the...

    Guardians vs. Athletics Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Cleveland Guardians look to start their season with a win as road favorites (-145) in a season-opening matchup with the Oakland Athletics. First pitch is on Thursday at 10:07 PM ET on NBCS-CA, live from Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.Cleveland's Shane...

    more bulls news