It was only 10 months ago that the Chicago Bulls were among the top teams in the East. With Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Lonzo Ball fully healthy at the time, they were thriving together and building an identity as an elite two-way unit.
What has followed has been nothing short of a disaster for the Windy City. After finishing 6th in the East last season, they are currently 11-18 in the East amid a 4-game losing streak.
It’s a tough pull to swallow for the Bulls, and especially for their young star Zach LaVine. Speaking to the media after Sunday night’s crushing defeat (in which they gave up 150 points to the Timberwolves), LaVine recognized the position his team is in.
“I think everybody goes through ups and downs, just like every team does,” LaVine told The Athletic on Tuesday. “Obviously if we’re not winning games, not everybody’s going to be happy. It’s not going to look as good as it was before. It’s all glitter and show when you’re winning games. But when you’re losing games and you’re trying to do the same things it’s turmoil. Everybody has their right to their own opinion. For me, I keep my head down. I work on my game and try to help my team. I help try to lead the team. That’s where I stand. I just try to take it day by day and evaluate how we’re doing.”
Inside the Chicago Bulls' concerning dynamics, the franchise and Zach LaVine not seeing eye-to-eye, and the organization's efforts to manage the on-court disconnect with LaVine and DeMar DeRozan — with @DarnellMayberry at @TheAthletic:https://t.co/k5dz1z00q8
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 20, 2022
Zach LaVine And The Bulls Butting Heads After 11-18 Start
For the Bulls, however, the frustration is starting to seep beyond the basketball court. Behind the scenes, Zach and the front office are not on the same page, and there is a growing sense that something is going to give within the next few weeks or months.
Even more, multiple league sources and sources close to the organization say LaVine and the Bulls are not seeing eye-to-eye. Over the past few weeks, there’s been a palpable feeling across various parts of the franchise of a disconnect over LaVine’s situation in Chicago. All of this has been happening while LaVine is in the first season of a five-year, $215 million maximum deal that was signed this summer.
“There’s a certain level of frustration in people trying to figure out what we can do to help right the ship,” LaVine told The Athletic. “I think with the players that we have, we try to put it on each other to right the ship. We have those type of guys, those type of mentalities where each of us have been number one options on a team before and then we all come together collectively. It’s not going to take one person. It’s going to take all of us as a unit. I think that’s what guys are trying to figure out how to help the group.”
Sunday’s 150-point onslaught was just the latest in a long line of blows to the Bulls this season, but they shouldn’t expect sympathy from anyone. In fact, teams aren’t going to hesitate to keep taking advantage of the Bulls’ situation right now.
The question now is, how long can they hold out before making a major trade? After DeMar DeRozan’s statements over the weekend, it seems the panic meter is starting to fill for the entire organization.
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