Boylen plans to use Collins' advice during Chicago Bulls coaching transition
Between the end of practice Thursday and the start of his news conference, new Chicago Bulls coach Jim Boylen sat down for a chat with Bulls adviser Doug Collins.
Boylen has plenty of NBA experience, spending 20 years as an assistant coach, but few people can match Collins' path through the league.
"I want all the advice and the help I can get to put in what I want to do," Boylen said at the Advocate Center. "So coach Collins is - first of all, Bulls across his chest means a ton. I love that about him. He cares for us, he cares for the players. He cares for ownership, management. So he's invested and he's an unbelievable resource for me."
Boylen didn't want to get into what they talked about. After one game as an NBA head coach, there were plenty of potential questions.
Collins has coached the Bulls, Pistons, Wizards and 76ers, in addition to a long career as a player.
"How it usually works is I ask him three or four things and kind of set the table on things I want to learn or know about or get another opinion on," Boylen said. "Then he's good at giving it back to me."
The shape of things:
Jim Boylen was asked if he needs to strike a balance between his stated goal of getting the Bulls in better shape and not getting the players worn out for games.
"I want us to be at a level where we get the full force of what we do," Boylen said. "I think our conditioning doesn't allow us to do that. So I'm not even to the point you're talking about. Does that make sense?
"I'm not dancing around the question, either. But we're like at ground level, the first floor. We're on A. I'd like us to get to D and E. We can't get to D and E if we're not in shape."
Back to the basics:
While former Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg tried to follow the NBA trend of a fast-paced, offensive-minded style, Jim Boylen slowed it down in his first game Tuesday at Indiana. He explained his thinking.
"I'd like to play smart," Boylen said. "On the road I think you've got to manage the game a little bit, that's kind of my background.
"We might be a part of that (offensive) trend as we get healthy and as we get used to each other and as we grow. But I think before you become trendy you've got to be basic. You've got to understand the basics. We're going to try and do that."
Bulls horns:
Ex-Bulls center Joakim Noah made his debut with the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, scoring 4 points in 13 minutes. It was Noah's first NBA action since Jan. 23, when he played his last game for the New York Knicks. … Injured Bulls forward Denzel Valentine was at Thursday's practice, using a leg scooter to get around after having season-ending ankle surgery last week.