The Chicago Bulls are in a free fall after recently firing head coach Fred Hoiberg and interim head coach Jim Boylen is off to a historically bad start. The team's ineptitude is highlighted in one simple stat that compares Boylen with Hoiberg and perhaps unfairly with Phil Jackson.
"Unfaltering strides in the right direction…"
40+ point losses as Bulls coach
— Phil Jackson: 0 in 738 games
— Fred Hoiberg: 1 in 270 games
— Jim Boylen: 1 in 3 games50+ point losses as Bulls coach
— Jackson: 0
— Hoiberg: 0
— Boylen: 1— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) December 9, 2018
It's a bit harsh to start comparing Jim Boylen to the greatest coach in Bulls history, but it's completely fair to criticize Boylen for the 56-point loss on Saturday night. The Bulls had no life whatsoever and let the Celtics walk all over them. The 56-point loss was worse than any suffered by the legendary Jackson or his predecessor.
To be fair to Boylen, the Bulls recently knocked off the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night. Zach LaVine erupted for 25 points and seven assists while Lauri Markkanen broke out with 24 points on 12 shots with seven rebounds for good measure. His last-second shot pushed the Bulls past Russell Westbrook and the Thunder. It was the type of win that could make the front office give Boylen a second look when they're searching for their next permanent head coach.
The Thunder victory was a step in the right direction for a young team. But the blowout loss to the Celtics on Saturday was more than a few steps backward.
No one expects the Bulls to win a ton of games this year. They're young, inexperienced, and still a year or two away from seriously competing in the East. That being said, a 56-point blowout is unacceptable for any team.
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