Jim Boylen is catching a lot of flak as head coach of the Chicago Bulls. Chicago is 5-11 since firing former head coach Fred Hoiberg. Additionally, they've had their fair share of internal drama and brutal losses since Boylen took over.
That being said, it's easy for fans to forget that Boylen is still a decent coach who has been an NBA assistant coach since 1992. He has obviously done something right if he has been able to stay around that long.
Boylen recently spoke about a drill he calls “finishing school” to help players learn to finish at the rim through contact:
Boylen said Bulls use something called "finishing school," which he copped from Jud Heathcote at Michigan State: "It’s finishing through contact, learning how to keep your eyes on the rim." 12 different finishes–both hands overhand, underhand, reverse, long layup–thru contact
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 8, 2019
Say what you will about Boylen, but Jud Heathcote is a good coach to borrow drills from. Heathcote won a national championship as the head coach of Michigan State. Heathcote was a mentor for Boylen, and the legendary coach has an extensive coaching tree.
It remains to be seen if Boylen's finishing school helps the young Bulls improve their scoring at the rim. This season, Chicago is right around league average in terms of finishing at the rim, but there's always room to improve.
The Bulls are among the worst teams in the league and are about to embark on a five-game road trip. Chicago is riding a four-game losing streak that will be difficult to break against the likes of the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers, and Denver Nuggets.
That is a brutal five-game trip for a team that's already reeling.
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