CHICAGO, IL: It's been a while since we last saw the Baby Bulls play. Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Andres Nocioni, Tyson Chandler and others were the first glimpse of post-Jordan success, and some of them were still on the roster when former MVP Derrick Rose was drafted and began his (unfortunately short) rise to stardom.
Always a franchise with no direction in the pre-CSL era, the Bulls were then able to play three finals, winning two rings in the process. Now, with Marcos Beck back at the helm (thanks again, Rhox), they want to experience a full rebuild once. This weekend, after trading Jordan McLaughlin and Jontay Porter to the Jazz, coach Doc Rivers said he's evaluating changes in the starting lineups:
"It hasnt gone very well for us at 4-11 this season, so changes are probably needed. We wanna implement a new style of play and give the younger guys a chance to show what they can do. If the focus is fully shifted towards the future, it's wise to give them the opportunity to learn the system and develop chemistry together. We're still learning how to play together, really. That could give us a chance to be better in the future, you know" said Rivers.
Yago dos Santos, freshly acquired from the Jazz, is expected to start along Coulibaly in what should be the youngest backcourt in the league. While inexperience might lead to some silly errors, the combination of Yago, Bilal and Doumbouya should be something Bulls fans could be happy about in a few seasons.
"They still need to learn how to play the way we want to, adjusting tendencies is a big part of what we are supposed to do as a coaching staff. They are quick learners and hard workers though, and should be ready sooner than expected." assistant Mark Bryant added in a rare appearence.
"We're not setting a timetable for this rebuild, but we really want to understand how far we are from playoff basketball by the time we hit our third season. This will give them time to mature, understand how CSL works, work on conditioning and stuff like that, and we can continue to add good young talent via draft and free agency. If they work hard, I promise you we'll have something by then."
Asked if players like Aaron Holiday and DeAndre Hunter, who just lost their starting jobs, will remain in the rotation and even on the roster, Beck said "the rotations are up to the coach" but he "fully expects both to play and mentor our young guys, even in a bench role".
About older players being moved, he added "they like Chicago. We like them. Trade deadline is very far".
It was reported that a big 4-way trade that would have sent Hunter to an Eastern powerhouse fell off in the last moments. The Bulls are currently projected to have max-level room if they decline team options on Kennard, Bell and Wilson, which is almost guaranteed they will at this point, but are looking to create even more space for, maybe, two max offers.
