Rozner: Bulls firing Boylen just the next logical step

A wise executive takes time to make decisions, especially when there is no rush to adjudicate.

Certain to be a Hall of Famer and among the best to ever do it, Theo Epstein said words to this effect the day he took over the Cubs, but also as certain was that he would in time rid the club of all its ills.

Most humorous, if you take pleasure is such things, was that Epstein bothered to wait more than 10 minutes to fire manager Mike Quade, Epstein first spending multiple days with Quade and bleeding him for every ounce of information Epstein could get on every step of the organization and every player at the major and minor league levels.

Upon getting his money's worth from someone with a guaranteed contract, Epstein finally fired Quade, the least surprising move of the hundreds he has made since Epstein arrived in Chicago.

Now consider new Bulls boss Arturas Karnisovas, who said essentially the same when he took over the operation, that he would not hurry to make a call on any personnel without first collecting as much intelligence as possible.

It is the smart move. No need was there for Karnisovas to drive through the doors with a backhoe and begin with total destruction when there was the possibility of gaining something through a quiet and thorough process.

And one by one, he has cleared the organization of problems that have existed the last two decades, with very little playoff success. The Bulls have wandered aimlessly through the NBA desert since Michael Jordan retired, the glory days mere memories now.

When or if they ever return is very much in question and Karnisovas can offer no guarantees of triumph, but he took the next step Friday morning when he announced the firing of head coach Jim Boylen, who - along with the likes of Tim Floyd, Vinny Del Negro and Fred Hoiberg - is a reminder of the circus that has been Bulls basketball in the United Center.

There was no chance Boylen was keeping his job under new management, despite the hysterical rantings of a few, no more than Quade had any chance to remain manager of the Cubs under Epstein.

"After doing a comprehensive evaluation and giving the process the time it deserved, I ultimately decided that a fresh approach and evolution in leadership was necessary," Karnisovas said in a statement. "This was a very difficult decision, but it is time for our franchise to take that next step as we move in a new direction and era of Chicago Bulls basketball.

"Jim is a great human being that cares deeply about this organization and the game of basketball. I want to thank him for his professionalism and commitment to the franchise."

In truth, it was not a difficult decision, the brief Boylen era an NBA joke that did not leave players or fans laughing.

The NBA is a players' league and the Bulls have done a poor job recognizing such as they prepare to hire their 10th coach in the last 20 years. One can assume Karnisovas understands the type of leader he must bring in and that having worked the roster for thoughts on this he knows already who it will be.

Boylen was most assuredly a bad fit for the many reasons you have been hearing about since he got here, his style having expired with leisure suits.

"No one could question Jim's passion for our team and our organization," Michael Reinsdorf wrote in his statement. "We sincerely appreciate his tireless efforts and contributions during his time with the Bulls, and we wish him and his family the very best."

Whatever. The Bulls have moved on as nearly everyone within earshot understood would be the case.

The Bulls have lacked direction for so long that any hint of it is a godsend for a disintegrating fan base that can hardly remember a time when the organization wasn't entirely dysfunctional.

Perhaps better days are on the way. What feels certain is that it can't possibly be any worse.