Jim Boylen may have publicly expressed confidence he’ll remain head coach of the Chicago Bulls. The reality is different. Arturas Karnisovas is running the show now as VP of Basketball Operations. Expectations are he’ll be making a lot of changes from top to bottom. That includes the coaching staff and the roster. Given how unpopular Boylen was with his players, the odds of him staying in place are remote at best.
So the obvious question comes next. Who will replace him?
There will likely be a number of candidates the Bulls look at in the coming weeks. However, if one thinks about it. There is only one name that truly stands out as an obvious choice.
Adrian Griffin is widely considered one of the top assistant coaches in the NBA. He just got done helping the Toronto Raptors win the championship last season. He played in the league for nine years, twice for the Bulls. After retiring, he rejoined the team as an assistant under Tom Thibodeau and helped usher in the best run of success for the franchise since the Jordan years from 2010 to 2015.
To top it off? He has ties to Karnisovas. The two were with the Houston Rockets in 2003 and 2004. So there’s familiarity.
Chicago Bulls can make a huge statement with Griffin
The truth is Griffin should probably already be a head coach. He’s been an assistant since 2008. Several teams he’s worked on had a ton of success. The 45-year old has paid his due and is ready for his opportunity. His experience and ability to connect with players is valuable beyond belief. Throw in his close ties to Chicago? There is just no counter-argument that makes sense. He checks every conceivable box there is.
Still, nothing is guaranteed. Many times in history there seems to be an obvious candidate for a position on a team and for whatever reason that candidate gets passed over. Sometimes it proves to be the right decision. Other times not so much. One thing is clear. If the Bulls wanted to gain credibility on and off the court, they could do a lot worse than Griffin.
