The relationship between Chicago Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine and head coach Jim Boylen has reached a critical point.
LaVine pointed to a lack of trust between him and Boylen following the Bulls' 116-108 loss to the Miami Heat on Friday. LaVine was pulled in the first quarter, with the Bulls down 13-0, after what Boylen described were defensive mistakes.
After the game, LaVine told Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports that he and Boylen may have to sit down for a one-on-one talk:
Q: Do you trust him still?
A: I’m trying my best, I'll say that. I'm playing my minutes and trying to do the best I can do. It's tough, especially when you're in a rut. If he doesn't trust me, it's hard to trust someone who doesn't trust you.
Q: Do you need to talk directly?
A: We talk a lot. We need to have a sit-down talk? Maybe. Maybe we should. I think he's a direct guy. We'll figure out a time and place to do it and see where we see eye to eye at.
The Bulls are 5-11 on the season after losing to the Heat. LaVine signed a four-year, $78 million deal with the Bulls in the summer of 2018, while Chicago extended Boylen's contract this past summer.
On the season, LaVine is averaging 19.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting 41.0 percent from the field, 34.3 percent from beyond the arc and 81.3 percent from the free-throw line. His numbers are down across the board from last season.
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