Thad Young is the Bulls Dad, Building a Winner, Boylen’s Contract, and Other Bulls Bullets

Happy Father’s Day!

Shoutout to my dad for showing me nothing but love and support for all these years. To me, he’ll always be the GOAT.

•   Look at all these baller fathers!

https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1274697225613049861?s=20

•   Is it just me or does Zach LaVine and his dad look like they’re about to drop an absolutely fire mixtape? 10/10 would listen.

•   Thaddeus Young spoke with NBC Sports Chicago about all things “Dad.” He opened up about the close relationship he has with his own father, and how that’s impacted the way he raises his two sons. I know he may not be a fan favorite around the Chicagoland area (yet), but it’s not hard to see why he has been at practically every other stop in his career. The guy is truly a father on and off the court. He’s helped several franchises mold young talent, as he radiates respect and professionalism. The reason he received his three-year, $43 million is not only because of his basketball skills, but also because of his ability to help steer a young team in the right direction. He did it with the Indiana Pacers, and it’s clear how much it meant to the organization.

•   Also, let’s not pretend like Young isn’t a solid player. I saw him get bad-mouthed plenty of times this season, and while it was a tad frustrating that he complained about his minutes in the early part of the season, he had a point. I mean, this is Jim Boylen we’re talking about. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear Young had been promised a far different role or experience than he received. Not to mention, it’s hard to all of a sudden move to the bench after eight-straight years of starting. And when he did get to start this season, he performed as productively as he always has – averaging 13.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. The guy also shot 51.2 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from downtown.

•   The problem is the Bulls are invested in Lauri Markkanen, and he’ll continue to be the starter moving forward. However, perhaps with an actual competent head coach, they can get this same production from Young off the bench … which would be pretty freakin’ solid. I don’t see any reason why a second unit led by veterans like Satoransky and Young couldn’t work. With that said, I also understand why Young might be trade bait this coming season. I’m sure plenty of competitors would be interested in his services, and as I’ve pointed out before, a separation may just be the best for both parties.

•   Oh yeah, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, THAD!

•   We now interrupt your regularlly scheduled bullets for … the feels. *sheds a single tear*  

•   I love this vid.

•   Avery Johnson recently joined the Bulls Talk Podcast for an interesting discussion about building a winning culture. I recommend the listen, but I have a bone to pick with one of his statements: “I think the coach, the head coach, the general manager, the president of basketball operations and ownership all have to consistently be on the same page. Everybody has to be synchronized so that you can build a culture that’s conducive for success. And that culture is not — what you see in the games is only a byproduct of the culture behind the scenes and connectivity between all of those entities and people that I talked about before.”

•   When Johnson lists the people who need to be “on the same page,” he forgets an important group – the players. Perhaps this is supposed to go without saying, but it’s a vital piece. For the Bulls, all of those listed were on the same dumb page for the last couple of years in Chicago. Players have clearly been fed up, but they haven’t been able to influence enough change. I guess I’m just trying to say that everyone thinking the same way isn’t necessarily a formula for success. In fact, it can be the formula for a full-on trainwreck. Players usually know when things need to change, and having their voice in the equation is more important than ever before. Fortunately, Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley know this, and we should see more accountability and awareness in the organization’s future.

•   I want to remind everyone the money Boylen is owed is reportedly no big deal. The extension he got was minuscule compared to other head coaches around the league. The organization can swallow it just fine.

•   366 days ago … an iconic moment was born.

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.

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