As we wait for a possible continuation of this NBA season the Bulls have continued making moves within the front office. The Bulls look to have completed the front office changes with the hiring of JJ Polk and Pat Connelly. Polk is coming in as the assistant GM and Connelly as the VP of player personnel. The front office has been vague when talking about Boylen’s future as the head coach of the Bulls. However, the rumors are, Karnisovas and Eversley would like to start fresh with a new head coach.
It also came to light over the weekend that some key Bulls players sounded off to the front office about Boylen. It was evident during the season that players had issues with the way Boylen coached. This doesn’t come as a surprise that there would be more than one player who didn’t want Boylen returning next season.
As great as it may seem that players are now bashing Boylen to the new front office, it puts fear in fans that the Reinsdorfs and Paxson still have too much control. If Karnisovas intends to keep this young core together he would have no choice but to bring in another head coach, one the players will respect.
Why is Boylen still around?
The common fan will ask the question if no one likes him why is he still around? That’s where things get a little tricky. While many players don’t like Boylen, he does have some important supporters. The Reinsdorf’s along with John Paxson are big supporters of Jim. They praised him often during the season and have always had his back while he was being ripped apart by the media. But the Reinsdorfs brought Karnisovas and Eversley in to change this franchise and that requires a fresh start. If Karnisovas wants to make the Bulls cool again he needs to bring in a coach that isn’t set in their old school ways.
The players have ripped him, he has a track record of poor game management, his player development is subpar, and he’s disliked across the entire city. There’s no upside to bringing Boylen back as the head coach of this team and his record proves it.
At this point the media has ripped him, the players have ripped him, other coaches have ripped him, so what more will it take for him to be let go? Honestly, I’m not sure what more it will take at this point to get Jim out the door. Karnisovas and Eversley may be waiting to see what happens with the remainder of this season before looking for a new head coach. However, the longer the wait the more frustration mounts within the Chicago fanbase. If Boylen somehow manages to keep his job the appeal to free agents will surely decrease. A new head coach accompanied by a new front office coming off The Last Dance documentary is sure to entice free agents this summer. Everything that needed to happen to get Boylen out the door has happened. However, Boylen still remains with the team.
The dislike of Boylen has not subsided during this break in the NBA. Until Boylen is released Bulls fans everywhere will still have some anger/frustration towards the franchise. Until that time, we can enjoy The Last Dance and try and forget the train wreck of this past season.
