Bulls need to take a timeout
John Paxson is acting like a perplexed parent whose honor-student children suddenly turned into detention-earning delinquents.
For the past three years, the Bulls general manager watched the players he acquired work hard, stay together and commit to winning.
This season has been about anything but team success.
First, the Bulls tuned out coach Scott Skiles, who was fired Dec. 24. The players also have refused to play much defense and have earned three in-house suspensions, not including rookie JamesOn Curry's arrest for public urination and resisting arrest while on a D-League assignment.
Paxson addressed the media Monday at the Berto Center and also gave a lengthy interview on WMVP 1000-AM.
"I've never experienced anything like this year in 25 years of professional basketball, in terms of what has happened to our team," Paxson said on the radio. "I didn't see it coming at all this year. I was definitely of the mind-set that we were going to be a very good basketball team competing at a high level."
The latest Bull to run astray was fourth-year guard Chris Duhon, who did not play in Sunday's 116-109 loss at Detroit after missing shootaround. Duhon chartered a private jet to attend Saturday's Duke-North Carolina game, then overslept the next morning.
"I just needed to get away and get myself back together," Duhon said on WMVP. "I wanted to go to a place where I felt comfortable and be around people who can boost my self-esteem."
Duhon also was fined an undisclosed amount for his comments regarding the suspension. Before Sunday's game, Duhon waved off the punishment, saying, "I really don't play anyway, so it won't have much of an effect on me."
Most of Duhon's playing time disappeared after the Bulls added guard Larry Hughes in the Feb. 21 trade with Cleveland.
"That's a bothersome statement," Paxson said. "Chris and I talked about it and he said he said it out of frustration. It wasn't the right thing to say. We have to live with what comes out of our mouths. I do think he gets it."
Forward Tyrus Thomas was back on the floor Sunday after serving a two-game suspension for skipping practice last week. In January, Joakim Noah was suspended for a verbal tirade directed at assistant coach Ron Adams. Noah's teammates then voted to stretch the punishment from one game to two.
Looking down the Bulls' roster, it's difficult to find any player who has met expectations this season, either through performance or behavior.
"After the last three years, it all seems out of character," Paxson said. "As long as winning matters and is the most important thing, then you feel like you are on the right track.
"Last year we were about winning; we were about competing. I think fans enjoyed our players, because they saw them out there competing. And for some reason it changed this year."
Paxson vowed to take a critical look at all aspects of the organization this summer, but cleaning house won't be easy.
The Bulls can't trade restricted free agents Ben Gordon and Luol Deng without their consent; Kirk Hinrich, Larry Hughes and Andres Nocioni have large contracts that will be difficult to deal; and younger players such as Thomas and Noah haven't yet reached their potential.
The events of the past week can't bode well for the future of interim coach Jim Boylan, whose status also will be evaluated when the season ends. At this point, it seems unlikely he will remain the coach, but he still has 19 games left to turn things around.
"I think we had a couple situations where guys made poor judgments," Boylan said Monday. "It doesn't, I don't think, reflect entirely on the team. We have a lot of guys who have a good work ethic and a good professional attitude."
Duhon, who is in the final year of his contract, said on the radio that he doesn't expect to be back with the Bulls next season. After the latest incident, that's probably a foregone conclusion.
The Bulls host Utah tonight and guard Thabo Sefolosha is expecting to return after missing six games with a groin injury.
Tonight's tipoff
Bulls vs. Utah Jazz at the United Center, 7:30 p.m.
TV: Comcast SportsNet-plus
Radio: WMVP 1000-AM
Update: When the Bulls lost at Utah 97-87 on Feb. 9, they were missing Ben Gordon, Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich. The Jazz (42-22) has gone 25-6 since Jan. 1 and won five straight. Forward Andrei Kirilenko has missed three games with a hip injury, thanks to a flagrant foul by Dirk Nowitzki, and is questionable for tonight's contest.
Player to watch: Former Illinois star Deron Williams ranks fourth in the league with 10.2 assists per game, in addition to averaging 19.1 points and shooting 51 percent from the field.
Next: Philadelphia 76ers at the United Center, 7:30 p.m. Friday
-- Mike McGraw