Chicago Bulls head coach Jim Boylen is a polar opposite of ex-coach Fred Hoiberg. Boylen is demonstrative and likes to run long practices, similar to Tom Thibodeau. Needless to say, it's taking some time for the Bulls to get used to their new coaches' hard practices, something shooting guard Zach LaVine admitted to on Friday:
Zach LaVine just laughed uncomfortably when asked how his body feels after two 2 1/2-hour Boylen practices on back-to-back days, and then a Friday shootaround that last almost 90 minutes. "Gotta get used to it,'' LaVine eventually said.
— Joe Cowley (@JCowleyHoops) December 7, 2018
This isn't to say Fred Hoiberg didn't have hard practices, but Jim Boylen's coaching style and demand for players being in tiptop condition is more rugged than Hoiberg. It's something the Bulls need actually. The team is lacking discipline. Too many times, guys like Jabari Parker and Zach LaVine don't run back on defense. For a franchise that is trying to establish a new culture, you can't have two of the highest-paid guys on the team show a lack of effort.
The good thing is that Boylen won't be afraid to call out players for their mistakes either. Hoiberg was too nice of a guy to get into players' faces.
The Bulls are 5-20 on the season, 14th place in the Eastern Conference. Jim Boylen lost his coaching debut against the Indiana Pacers, but the team looked different under his guidance in just one game. Chicago is still rebuilding, but it looks like Boylen is going to be teaching the players good practice and game habits.
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