The past few weeks for the Chicago Bulls have been defined by turmoil and a sense of urgency to get back on track. DeMar DeRozan had already urged his team to wake up. After all, the Bulls, a playoff team last season, entered their Sunday night clash against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a putrid 11-17 record. But it seems as if their words haven't translated to their play on the court, with Zach LaVine and Goran Dragic feeling the ignominious discomfort brought forth by defeat.
After the Bulls' 150-126 defeat against the Timberwolves, LaVine couldn't help but express his frustrations after Chicago mustered yet another hapless performance.
“It’s frustrating for all of us. I know it’s frustrating for the fans. It’s embarrassing. We’re all a little embarrassed about it,” LaVine told reporters, per Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic.
Zach LaVine following the Bulls’ fourth-straight loss, which dropped them to 11-18: “It’s frustrating for all of us. I know it’s frustrating for the fans. It’s embarrassing. We’re all a little embarrassed about it.” pic.twitter.com/3eU6dniY4i
— Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) December 19, 2022
On the other hand, Goran Dragic went even deeper than Zach LaVine in his critique of his own team. Now 36-year old, Dragic has seen it all. He knows the kind of sacrifice contending teams must make to reach that level, and that is something he thinks the Bulls lack.
“We’re not playing for each other. It’s as simple as that. Somebody told me — and he was right — it’s easy to talk about sacrifice. But somebody else’s sacrifice is easier to talk about. But when it comes to you, that you have to sacrifice for the team, then it’s a different story. You have to accept it. But it’s tough,” Dragic said.
As the Bulls continue to lose ground in the standings, Zach LaVine acknowledges that the time for talk is over. He knows that he and the rest of the Bulls, including DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic, just need to translate their rhetoric into tangible performances on the court.
“You can name whatever you want to. We’re just not getting it done as a unit. And until we band together and start helping each other, you’re not going to see a different result. […] Guys in here are talking. We’re trying to be leaders in our own way, but we’ve got to find a way to get it done,” LaVine added.
LaVine and the Bulls will try to stem the tide when they face the Miami Heat on Tuesday night.
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