The Chicago Bulls’ plan under Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley turned out to be the angry friends we made along the way. In other words, it never existed.
Sure, there was a plan from the jump. They traded several young pieces for win-now vets in DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, and Lonzo Ball. The playoffs were the immediate goal. Once that blew up in their face, however, getting answers out of the organization’s brain trust was nearly impossible. And that’s precisely why their key cards no longer work at the Advocate Center.
As happens often when a cleaning of the house ensues, the Bulls’ newest regime has already proven to be the exact opposite. They look to answer questions at every turn and have been as transparent as possible. Even more importantly, they haven’t been afraid to utter the word “rebuild.” In fact, Bryson Graham brought it up multiple times in his opening presser, confirming the franchise certainly falls under that category.
Likewise, Graham made very clear what being in a rebuild means. There will be no lofty expectations for the win-loss column and no skipped steps. This will be a lengthy process, and youth is going to take center stage through it all.
“It’s going to take time. I think the roster, we’re in the developmental stage right now,” Graham said. “I think everyone in here knows we are not where we want to be … We just want to be smart, and we want to be also creative and opportunistic, right? But we’re obviously going to take our time. This is not going to be something that is rushed. This is the beginning stage.”
Since Graham shared those words in early May, the Bulls have followed up with actions. And that’s even with unexpected lottery luck handing them a potential franchise cornerstone in Caleb Wilson. It can be easy to change course when the basketball gods lend a helping hand, but Graham has remained steady.
To be sure, the Bulls didn’t overload their roster with youngsters. Many rebuilding teams have taken this approach in recent years, essentially throwing as many things at the wall as possible to see what sticks. But the fact that the Bulls didn’t go down this road only further underscores their commitment to true player development.
To put it differently, this isn’t just a franchise on a desperate search for talent. Graham clearly believes that the Bulls can build the kind of infrastructure that gets the most out of anyone who steps into their gym. It also sure doesn’t hurt that both Wilson and Matas Buzelis have so much promise. Those are two star-caliber players worthy of a more focused investment.
The hiring of Tiago Splitter was the first sign that player development has taken center stage. A former player in his own right, he is fresh off leading an incredibly young Portland Trail Blazers team to the postseason. Splitter, 41, is the kind of coach who can grow with an organization and his players. Not to mention, he’s someone who can directly speak their language.
The way in which the Bulls built out Splitter’s coaching staff also can’t be overlooked. They added a long list of new assistants, which included hiring a fresh player development coordinator from the reigning NBA champs. Several newbies also come over from teams with recent rebuilding success stories, including the Pistons, Trail Blazers, and Grizzlies.
Even more notable, however, is what Bryson Graham has done with the roster itself. While it may not feel as if adding players like Norman Powell and Nic Claxton coincides with the player development mantra, it almost surely does. Both are respected veterans who can lift this team’s overall floor. The Bulls may not be destined to win many games, but that doesn’t mean they have to play reckless basketball. That’s how bad habits set it.
Yes, Graham’s job is to uplift Dailyn Swain, Josh Giddey, Wilson, and Buzelis. All four will have a somewhat long leash at one point or another. But part of player development is also surrounding them with the right mentors and establishing the right structure.
Speaking of which, this is why the Bulls were likely very careful about adding free agents like Bennedict Mathurin or Jonathan Kuminga into the mix. The latter reportedly didn’t decide to join the team because he wasn’t promised a starting or closing role. This was almost surely done with the development of Buzelis and Wilson in mind. Some other rebuilding teams may have done whatever it takes to get more talent in the building. Not the Bulls.
None of this means that other young players will not be added to the mix. It’s also not to say that every decision the Bulls have made thus far is the right one. However, the Bulls are being very intentional about who they choose to prioritize and how they build a healthy atmosphere. Again, only time will tell if they are successful, but the fact that their mission is this clear should bring Bulls fans some genuine comfort.
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