Bulls introduce new players, brace for a tough rebuild
There was an unusually wide podium for the Bulls' introductory news conference at the Advocate Center on Tuesday.
Six chairs were placed behind the table - for new players Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen, along with coach Fred Hoiberg, vice president of basketball operations John Paxson and general manager Gar Forman.
All that was missing was a banner hanging over their heads reading, "We've defined a direction."
Post-draft events are usually happy and optimistic. The new rookies are excited to be in the NBA, and the future always looks brighter in the summer.
This time, the Bulls have set a new direction that should result in losing records and draft lottery participation until further notice. On draft night, they traded three-time all-star Jimmy Butler to Minnesota for the three newcomers.
"There will be painful times. There always are," Paxson said. "Our fans, if they give us time and are patient, we'll show results."
Even the new players come with flaws. Lavine has made nice strides in his three NBA seasons, but he tore the ACL in his left knee on Feb. 2, so he probably won't be ready to play on opening night.
While there are plenty of good reports about LaVine's progress, the Bulls aren't planning to win the championship next season, or even make the playoffs. There's no reason for him to rush back.
Dunn was the No. 5 pick in last year's draft, but he struggled as a rookie in Minnesota, shooting just 38 percent from the field overall and 29 percent from 3-point range.
Markkanen is the rookie, the No. 7 pick in last week's draft. For the time being, he's an interesting personality as one of the best long-range shooting 7-footers to play college basketball, as well as the second player born in Finland to be drafted in the NBA.
"Chicago, from what I've seen, it's like a lot back home," Markkanen said. "I'm going to be really comfortable here."
OK, that might be the first time Chicago has been compared to Jyvaskyla, Finland, which has a population of 135,000 and sits about three hours north of Helsinki. Markkanen, it should be pointed out, had only been here about 24 hours when he spoke.
Rebuilding in today's NBA remains an uncertain process. Eight of the teams that had top-10 draft picks in 2016 had top-10 picks again this year. The Butler trade could pay off someday, but even the Bulls are cautioning to expect a slow process. At age 22, LaVine should still be three or four seasons from hitting his peaks years in the NBA.
"If you're thinking about (the trade) in terms of winning and losing, it's the wrong way to look at it," Paxson said. "We defined a direction. We've made the playoffs nine out of 10 years - wasn't good enough. We have to now reset what we're about.
"I'm telling you, last night when we sat down with these three young men, they are quality people and they're really good basketball players. We have an opportunity to let them grow with our head coach and with this coaching staff. I'm excited about what the environment's going to be like in this building heading forward. We're thrilled to have them."
Dunn got a chance to address his poor showing as a Timberwolves rookie and didn't make excuses.
"I accept that I had a bad year," he said. "Every day, I'm trying to get in the gym, so I don't have to have (another) bad year. I've had a lot of ups and downs in my personal life. The reason I got here was because I never gave up. My personal mentality is to never give up."
Dunn and Markkanen could be nice pieces down the road, but the Bulls' future is tied mostly to LaVine. The two-time slam dunk contest champ got off to a good start in his new home by showing strong knowledge of the franchise, including Paxson's NBA Finals game-winner against Phoenix in 1993.
"Growing up, I was a 'Space Jam' fan," Lavine said. "I know everything about Michael Jordan. It's a great opportunity and humbling and satisfying to be here in these colors and this city."
LaVine averaged 18.9 points before the injury. He's gone from being a third wheel in Minnesota behind former rookies of the year Andrew Wiggins and Karl Anthony Towns to being the spotlight player in a larger city. Lavine's agent, Bill Duffy, believes his client is ready for the challenge.
"I think Thibs really toughened him up a little bit," Duffy said, referring to current Timberwolves and former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. "The thing is, Jerry West once told me about Zach, he said he can't fail because he's so talented and works so hard. He just can't fail. If he's healthy, nothing's going to hold him back because he'll do whatever's required."
• Follow Mike's Bulls reports on Twitter @McGrawDHBulls.