Young has formula for giving advice to young Bulls
The Bulls will probably need plenty of veteran guidance this season. Forward Thaddeus Young, 31, knows that's why he's here.
"I'm very vocal," Young said Thursday at the Advocate Center. "I talk to the coaches, I talk the front office, I talk to the players. I'm kind of that in-between voice for everybody. I just try to be as vocal as possible, but also just try to understand I'm not the only voice. Everybody has a voice, all the guys, they voice their opinion and we all listen.
"That's what everybody has to believe in. We all have to believe each and every person has something to give to this team and each and every person is going to want to do something for the betterment of the team."
Young spent the past three years with Indiana, but was searching for a new home this summer since the Pacers decided to promote Domantas Sabonis to the starting lineup. Young quickly came to terms with the Bulls as a free agent on July 1.
"I felt like I had a kindred spirit from the first moment we talked on the phone," coach Jim Boylen said. "He never asked me about starting, he never asked me about minutes, he never asked me about style of play.
"Coach, are we going to work hard, are we going to play hard? Are we going to do our habits every day? Are we going to do the tough things every day continually to get better? That's what we talked about."
Young and the Bulls will take on his former team Friday in Indianapolis.
Reading the defense:
Bulls coach Jim Boylen played quarterback in high school in East Grand Rapids, Michigan. On Thursday, he used a football analogy when talking about how he'd like to see Zach LaVine take the next step this season.
"When you're a quarterback in football, you know where your guys are," Boylen said. "You read the free safety, you read the strong safety, you read the corners, you read the coverage - and those are the things we talk about with Zach.
"I think that's an area he can grow. He's committed to doing that. And what I'd like him to be is a two-way player, and I'd also like him to be a guy that shoots 8, 9, 10 free throws a game."
LaVine isn't particularly bulky, but Boylen things he could hold his own on a football field.
"I talk to our strength guys a lot," Boylen said. "Pound for pound, Zach's the strongest guy on our team and people don't talk about that with him, but he is.
"I think his conditioning is better, which is helping his energy be better. Because he uses a lot of energy on offense, his conditioning has got to be off the charts and it is."
Lemon joins Pacers:
Former Bulls point guard Walt Lemon Jr. signed with the Pacers on Thursday. A Chicago native, Lemon was the catalyst in the Windy City Bulls earning their first playoff berth last season. He played for the NBA Bulls at the end of the year.