LaVine: ‘Different energy’ for Bulls after eventful offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
A new era of Bulls basketball tips off this month. And, as with any young team bursting with optimism, vibes around preseason media week started out high.
“It’s a different energy in the building. I’ll tell you that,” Zach LaVine said. “We have a liveliness to us and a willingness to work and prove what type of team we are.”
Last season, the type of team they were was, frankly, a losing one. For the second season in a row, the Bulls finished with 22 wins -- though they played just 65 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic -- and were left uninvited from the NBA’s 2019-20 season restart in the Orlando bubble.
The disappointing campaign prompted widespread organizational change -- first with Artūras Karnišovas replacing John Paxson as executive vice president of basketball operations, then with Marc Eversley unseating long-time general manager Gar Forman and finally with Billy Donovan sliding into the fired Jim Boylen’s head coaching chair. It’s only the third time since Jerry Reinsdorf purchased the team in 1985 that the lead decision-making duties in basketball operations have changed hands.
But it’s Karnišovas’ show now. He, Eversley and their spate of initial hires have repeatedly preached a desire to implement a player-first culture. The dividends of that promise are showing early.
“It’s just a different energy,” LaVine repeated when asked about the imprint the new front office regime has had thus far. “They’re showing their faces. I see them every morning. I get here at 8 (a.m.) and they’re already in the gym. They’re on the court with you and not just talking about basketball but personal life things -- what things you like around here, what things you don’t like. They want you to be up front. They’re willing to change and hear players’ opinions. I think that’s something different from the past.”
It’s also something that jibes with Karnišovas and Everlsey’s stated philosophy towards player development, which will be a tenet of their tenure.
“We love being in the gym. We love evaluating talent. We love growing teams,” Eversley said at his post-hiring press conference in April. Their holistic approach to doing so has already been on display, most markedly during the team’s voluntary group workout program in September, which featured multiple team bonding trips off the court.
They also -- along with ownership -- put their words to action in bringing in Donovan, who is widely lauded for his player development acumen and the value he places on player input and collaboration. He also, per The Athletic, cost more than $24 million over four years to secure.
“He’s great,” LaVine said of Donovan during his media week availability session. “I’ve been able to talk to him a lot and figure out what our plan is. Now obviously, I’m not somebody that’s going to go in there and tell somebody how to do their job or like what I can and can’t do on the court, but obviously, the input of him asking me where do you like to be on the court, what plays do you like to be run, things like that, as a player, that gives you a lot of confidence of somebody having the authority to put you in a place to be successful. I’m excited for that. We want to go out there and compete for him.”
Going out there and competing at all will surely be a refreshing change of pace after a nine-month layoff. Opening night of the 2020-21 season -- Dec. 22 -- will mark 287 days since their last game action.
“Being nine months off, I’m sure everybody's just excited to play basketball and be around each other,” Markkanen said. “And of course, when the changes happen that brings even more to prove now.”
“I think this might be the first time in a couple years that you’re looking forward to preseason games,” LaVine quipped.
But if meaningful steps don’t occur in the win-loss column, the shine could wear off quickly. LaVine, who maintained reaching the playoffs as a personal and team goal, understands that as well as anyone.
“We have pretty much the same team. We have a new facelift of our front office and our coaching staff. We’re going to have to work with that and continue to get better,” he said. “I think we’re all excited to see what we can do under Billy in the offense and the defense that he runs. The goal is still the same – to go out there and win every game you compete in.
“Obviously, that’s a daunting task, but we haven’t done a lot of winning the last couple years. You have to step on the court and have the mindset that we’re going to continue to get better. You have to strive to make the playoffs. I think that’s the main thing. If you have anything lower than that, you’re just walking into failure. For me personally, my main goal is winning – going out there and being a competing team each and every day, giving us a chance to win.”
Soon, this energized iteration of the Bulls will be tested. For now, goodwill abounds.
