One year into Boylen's tenure, Bulls anxious to see progress
As the Bulls return home from a three-game West Coast trip, their timeline is filled with milestones.
Tuesday marked the year anniversary of Jim Boylen becoming head coach. Monday's 113-106 victory in Sacramento marked the first time this season both Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen scored 20 points in a game. Now when the Bulls host Memphis on Wednesday, they'll have a chance to record consecutive victories for the first time since last Mar. 18 and 20.
"It's a growing process. We're just taking it one day at a time," LaVine told reporters after Monday's win. "I'm just glad to get back on that winning streak and hopefully we can get the next couple at home and get this thing going. We need to start getting it going before it's too late."
LaVine has clearly checked the schedule. If the Bulls are going to make up any ground after their 7-14 start, now is the time. They'll play six of their next seven at the United Center, starting with Memphis and Golden State, two teams with a combined record of 10-32. The Bulls have yet to beat a team with a winning record this season.
The Bulls aren't that far out of their eighth playoff spot right now, but this season is going to be an uphill climb, since the toughest part of their schedule is at the end. For example, all seven games against Boston and Philadelphia are after Jan. 1, then the Bulls play six of the current top eight teams in the West - all on the road - after Mar. 21.
The players seem to have settled into a more productive goal of making steady improvement, rather than the preseason declaration of making the playoffs.
"I feel like everybody was sick and tired of losing," Wendell Carter Jr. said after the Sacramento game, according to theathletic.com. "I feel like we're in a good place as a team. It shows that no one's quit on one another. Everybody's still bought into our system and we're willing to do whatever we can to help this team win."
LaVine has been in a good place. After scoring 28 against the Kings, he's averaging 31.8 points over the last five games and shooting 57 percent from 3-point range. He had a quiet start in Sacramento, but hit some clutch shots down the stretch.
As for Markkanen, some good shooting from 3-point range propelled his 20-point night. He hit 4 of 8 shots from long range, scored on a couple of drives to the basket and hit 4 free throws in the fourth quarter when the Bulls created some mismatches for him.
It's too soon to say Markkanen's slump has been solved. He's the Bulls' fifth-leading scorer over the last five games.
"We know how good he is, we know how good he can be," LaVine said of Markkanen. "He shouldn't be in a slump for that long. We need to help him get out of it and I don't think we've done a good job of that. We had to do a little bit more two-man game and find him early. Once he made his first two, he started looking like the old Lauri. Hopefully, it's wheels up from there."
Since replacing Fred Hoiberg last year on Dec. 3, Boylen has gone 24-55 as head coach. Some have pointed out he's off to a worse start than Hoiberg, Tom Thibodeau, Vinny Del Negro or Scott Skiles over the same number of games, but that's hardly a fair comparison. None of those coaches took over deep into a rebuild with the Bulls trying to tank for lottery position.
A better comparison would be Tim Floyd (16-63 through 79 games) or Bill Cartwright (25-54), coaches who stepped in under rough circumstances.
Boylen's team could use more of a veteran presence in the lineup. Forward Otto Porter, who has missed the last 12 games with a left foot sprain, was expected to have the injury reevaluated when the team returns to Chicago, but there is no timeline yet for his return.
Twitter: @McGrawDHBulls
Bulls game day
Bulls vs. Memphis Grizzlies, Wednesday 7 p.m. at the United Center
TV: NBCSCH; Radio: WCR 670-AM
Outlook: It looks like Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant will miss his first game in Chicago. The No. 2 pick in the 2019 draft, Morant has missed the last two games with back spasms and is listed as "week to week" on the injury report. Morant took a hard fall and collided with a camera operator against Indiana on Nov. 25. He returned to that game and played in the next two before sitting out. Morant is the league's top-scoring rookie at 18.6 ppg. ... Memphis (6-14) played without C Jonas Valanciunas (illness), PF Brandon Clarke (hip) and SF Kyle Anderson (heel) in Monday's 117-104 loss to the Pacers. ... Second-year PF Jaren Jackson Jr. is averaging 15.7 points, with SG Dillon Brooks at 13.7. ... The Bulls beat Memphis 110-102 on Oct. 25 for their first win of the season as Zach LaVine scored 37 points.
Next: Golden State Warriors on Friday 7 p.m. at the United Center
- Mike McGraw