Will Jim Boylen stick around a while with the Chicago Bulls? If he does, we might know why.
If you are a fan of the Chicago Bulls, there is a decent chance you’re also a Chicago Cubs fan. This past offseason, we heard plenty from the Cubs brass about why they wouldn’t go after higher tier free agents.
It was simple, really.
“We don’t have the money” is the gist of what Rickets continued to hammer when questioned. For the Cubs, we are now seeing the consequences of not spending money on an area of weakness: The bullpen.
Similarly, now, the Bulls are in a familiar position. When Arturas Karnisovas took over as Vice President of Basketball Operation, most believed he would end up canning Jim Boylen in favor of a younger, more player-friendly type of leader.
It was almost a foregone conclusion that Boylen would be out before next season. It seemed like a no-brainer, especially having the front office completely retooled with the likes of Karnisovas and new general manager Marc Eversley.
Yet, a recent report out of the Chicago Sun-Times gave us some inside information regarding Boylen’s future.
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“. . . even if Karnisovas didn’t like what he would have seen from Boylen he would likely be handcuffed from making a change.” (Joe Cowley via Sun Times)
If you’re like me, you read that and immediately question, “Why?”
Per the same report out of the Sun Times, Jerry Reinsdorf would be opposed to spending the money on another head coach. According to multiple sources via the Sun Times, Reinsdorf is fearful of losing out on a large amount of money due to the current state of the country amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Bulls were recently valued at approximately $3.2 billion, again pointed out by Cowley. As anyone else would state, the fact that Reinsdorf attempts to complain about money when his franchise is valued at such a high number is absolutely laughable.
Recently, there were worries that the Bulls brass wasn’t listening to the players enough. An anonymous player came out and said as much. Yet, Karnisovas and Eversley said this would be their focus going forward — to listen to the players and put them first.
It’s a bit difficult to stay locked onto your word when ownership is cramping your style, though. You have to assume Karnisovas is wondering what he got himself into with taking on this role. Is it Karnisovas’ show? Or, is Reinsdorf going to play him like a puppet?
For the sake of the fanbase, players, organization and city of Chicago, for that matter, we better hope Reinsdorf figures this out and knocks off these ridiculous cries for help. No one feels bad for him. No one cares.
There are real people out there, who bleed red and black, and are literally grasping at a thread to hold on financially. This pandemic has hit the everyday, hard-working people where it hurts. Many of us are struggling — actually struggling.
Reinsdorf has no excuse for complaining in a time like this. He also has no excuse for Boylen on the sideline in 2021. Let’s hope he wakes up.
