A sequence of events for the Bulls:
Chicago went 27-55.
Bulls executive John Paxson said, “We did this year what we felt was in the long-term best interests of the Bulls. It’s not a situation that any of us want to ever be in again. It goes against everything as a competitive person that you believe in. But it’s the way the system is set up.”
Chicago went 22-60.
The Bulls signed solid veterans Thaddeus Young and Tomas Satoransky.
Chicago is 6-13.
Joe Cowley of the Chicago-Sun Times:Jerry Reinsdorf might be waking up — and not in the best of moods.
According to several sources, the Bulls chairman is livid about the team’s 6-12 start this season and the continued sinking profile of the organization and is beginning to focus on general manager Gar Forman. The sources indicated this is not a recent change of heart for Reinsdorf, and that his unhappiness has been building after several questionable decisions.
The opinion of former Bulls coach Doug Collins — a Bulls advisor who has never been a huge fan of Forman — is said to be carrying weight in this.
K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago:
This all goes back to the Jimmy Butler trade. That set the Bulls back years. They traded their best player for youngsters (not getting good value, either) and entered rebuilding. But they clearly don’t have the stomach for spending multiple years in the basement.
Now, cracks are showing.
Losing is frustrating. Coach Jim Boylen keeps picking fights. (He might argue Zach LaVine responded positively.) And then there’s this leak. Whatever Forman’s actual standing within the organization, that someone is presenting it this way is troublesome enough.
“Imminent jeopardy” is a vague phrase with a definition in the eye of the beholder. We’ll see how patient Reinsdorf will be. Much to fans’ chagrin, he has long stuck with the GarPax regime.
But nothing inspires change like losing.