The Eagles were a mess.

Less than three years removed from winning the Super Bowl, they’d finished the 2020 season 4-11-1, losing seven of their final eight games. They fired head coach Doug Pederson and, five weeks after that, agreed to deal quarterback Carson Wentz to the Colts.

Less than two years later, the Eagles are the best team in the NFL.

How did they get here? General manager Howie Roseman hired a coach he believed in — just like the Bears did, he chose a Colts coordinator — and then built around his quarterback, mastered draft-day trades and fortified the league’s best defensive line.

The Bears have examined the Eagles’ rebuild in the context of their own.

“The way they’ve built that roster I’m sure has come up a few times,” coach Matt Eberflus said Friday. “We’re looking for a long, fast, physical football team that plays a certain style, which they do. They play that way, too. It’s definitely that.”

Bears general manager Ryan Poles was wise to take note. The Eagles’ path to the top of the NFC is worth trying to copy:

Help your QB

The Eagles drafted quarterback Jalen Hurts in the second round in 2020 and started him four times before deciding to trade Wentz.

Even then, no one was quite sure if Hurts was the team’s quarterback of the future.

The Eagles built around him as if he were anyway.

After Hurts’ rookie year, the Eagles gave him a receiver with whom to grow, drafting Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith. The two were teammates at Alabama. Some considered the 6-foot, 170-pound Smith to be undersized — but he has totaled 1,691 yards since the start of the 2021 season, which ranks 26th in the NFL.

That’s a path most good teams — and not the Bears — take. Of the seven NFC teams that would make the playoffs were the season to end today, all but the Giants have a starting receiver they drafted in the first round. (They did — but traded Kadarius Toney to the Chiefs in October.) The Bears have done it once in 20 years — and that choice, Kevin White, caught 25 passes in four seasons.

After Hurts’ first full season as a starter — he was paired with new head coach Nick Sirianni — Roseman found him more dynamic help at receiver, trading a first- and third-round pick to the Titans for A.J. Brown in April. The Eagles signed the star receiver, who had clamored for a new contract in Tennessee, to a four-year, $100 million deal.

Brown has turned into a superstar with the Eagles. He’s sixth in the league with 1,020 receiving yards and third with 10 touchdowns.

The Titans took Arkansas receiver Treylon Burks No. 18 overall and traded No. 101 to the Jets. Last week, in part because of the failed trade, the Titans fired GM Jon Robinson.

Hurts is the favorite to be named NFL MVP.

Justin Fields, though, might be left to wonder when he’ll get his own game-changing receiver. Poles traded the Bears’ 2023 second-round pick for Chase Claypool, but the receiver’s slow start and the team’s heavy-stone sink to the bottom of the standings makes that move look worse with each passing week. Amazingly, the expected free-agent class this offseason isn’t much better than what the Bears currently have.

The draft will be a better place to find a receiver; ESPN has projected four to go in the first round of its latest mock draft, though three of them are in the last 11 picks.

Trade back

The Bears have more roster holes than they do draft picks or money to spend — and that’s remarkable, given that they’re on pace to draft third and lead the NFL in salary-cap space this offseason.

The solution: trade back in the draft.

If the Bears’ draft pick lands in the top five, Poles should court the teams who want to move up for a quarterback and squeeze the biggest return he can out of them.

What Roseman has done trading for draft picks in the last two years is dazzling.

The Eagles landed a 2022 first-rounder and a third-rounder for Wentz. They moved back six spots in the 2021 draft, earning the Dolphins’ 2022 first-round pick, and then two spots back up, using the Colts’ third-rounder as a sweetener, to draft Smith.

In April, the Eagles dealt Picks 16, 19 and 194 to the Saints for Picks 18, 101 and 237 — plus their 2023 first-rounder and a 2024 second-rounder. Roseman used one of his two remaining first-round picks to trade for Brown and the other to trade up and draft Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis.

Were the season to end today, the Eagles — who have the best record in football — would own the fifth pick in the draft, courtesy of the Saints, in addition to their own choice.

Put into simpler terms, Roseman dealt Wentz — a quarterback the team had given up on — and the sixth pick in 2021. The haul: Smith, his second-best receiver; Brown, his superstar receiver; Davis, his first-round pick this year; a likely top-five pick next year; and a 2023 second-round pick.

That kind of dealing can set a team up for a decade.

Poles undoubtedly will be tempted to use a top-five pick to directly fill the Bears’ biggest need — Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson and Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter would fit nicely — but he could reap the benefits of trading back for years.

Build D-line

Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon is a disciple of Eberflus, for whom he served as the Colts’ defensive backs coach from 2018-20. Like Eberflus, he believes in rushing the passer with four down linemen.

The Eagles have built the league’s best line — PFF ranks it No. 1 in pass-rushing — with a combination of returning players, free-agent splashes, journeyman signings and, yes, a first-round pick.

The Eagles’ second-biggest splash of the offseason was to give edge rusher Haason Reddick a three-year, $45 million free-agent deal after he totaled 11 sacks for the Panthers in 2021.

The Philadelphia-area native has 10 sacks this season, ranking 10th in Pro Football Focus’ pass-rush grade.

PFF considers Brandon Graham the third-best edge rusher. Josh Sweat, who signed a three-year extension in September 2021, is No. 19. Javon Hargrave grades out as the 16th-best interior defensive lineman. All three were on the Eagles last year. Graham’s contract was restructured in 2021 to add another year. The Eagles maneuvered to bring defensive tackle Fletcher Cox back, too, cutting him in March rather than paying him an $18 million bonus — and, two days later, re-signing him to a one-year, $15 million deal.

Roseman didn’t stop adding. He used a first-round draft pick on Davis, who has played nine games this season and returned earlier this month from a high-ankle sprain.

In late October, he traded for the Bears’ Robert Quinn, who was ineffective in five games — he had two quarterback hits and no sacks — before landing on injured reserve with a knee injury.

In November, Roseman signed veterans Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh to round out a defensive line that’s known for cycling players in and out during games. In Sunday’s 48-22 win against the Giants, Reddick was the only one of the aforementioned defenders to play more than half his team’s snaps.

The Bears won’t be able to acquire that kind of depth in one offseason. After fielding the league’s worst line this year, though, they need to start trying.

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Bears general manager Ryan Poles drew quizzical looks for his moves and non-moves at wide receiver last offseason, including bypassing the position twice in the second round of the draft and taking 25-year-old Velus Jones in the third.

The outlook on Jones has only gotten hazier since.

Entering the final four games of his rookie season, starting Sunday against the Eagles at Soldier Field, he has just 72 yards of total offense and one touchdown in eight games. He has been a healthy scratch twice and has been on the field for just 75 offensive plays.

The brutally slow start has tested both Jones’ resolve and the Bears’ patience. He has been splashy as a return man — although there also were costly mistakes — but teams are looking for much more than a specialist from a No. 71 overall pick. Jones was supposed to be a multifaceted playmaker for an organization suffering a dearth of those.

However, he’s unflinchingly confident he’ll be a weapon sooner rather than later, regardless of how it looks at the moment.

“It’s definitely been a process, but I’m thankful for the process,” he told the Sun-Times. “I feel myself getting better each week, and I just know one of these games I’m gonna break out.

“I’ll overcome this and be a top receiver in the league in the future. I know that’s going to happen. I don’t care what other people think. I knew I was going to be [in the NFL] one day, and a lot of people didn’t think that. I definitely know I’ll be at the top of my game on this level.”

Further complicating Jones’ path, the competition has gotten tougher as he has struggled. When the Bears drafted him, it was plausible he could develop into their best receiver behind Darnell Mooney. But they traded for up-and-comer Chase Claypool at the deadline, and now the math has changed.

Mooney, who’s out for the season with a foot injury, didn’t make the jump to become a clear-cut No. 1 receiver. Claypool hasn’t been that yet, either. And if the Bears have a pair of No. 2 targets, they need to find someone better than both of them in the draft, free agency or the trade market.

Assuming Poles can find such a talent to join Claypool and Mooney (the latter two are actually younger than Jones), where would that leave Jones?

Meanwhile, some of the receivers Poles passed on when he drafted cornerback Kyler Gordon at No. 39 and safety Jaquan Brisker at No. 48 look exactly like what the Bears need. Georgia star George Pickens, who went 52nd to the Steelers, put up his first 100-yard game in Week 4 and has 40 catches for 590 yards and two touchdowns, better numbers than anyone on the Bears. The Colts took Cincinnati’s Alec Pierce with the next pick; he has 32 catches for 510 yards and two touchdowns. Several receivers selected after Jones have been modestly productive as well.

The upside for Jones is that his playing time could be increasing. Bears coaches have praised his work in practice, and there are multiple vacancies. Not only is Mooney done for the year, but Claypool is out against the Eagles on Sunday because of a knee injury. Jones is competing with Equanimeous St. Brown, Byron Pringle and Dante Pettis for targets from quarterback Justin Fields.

“I’m ready. I’ve been waiting for this moment,” Jones said of the potential for a bigger role down the stretch. “I’m proud of my progress especially this week — I had a really good week of practice — and now it’s all about consistency.

“I’ve played running back, outside receiver, inside receiver. I can do a lot of things. In the future, I’ll be utilized that way, especially because of my size. They’ll be able to put me everywhere.”

That’s a big dream. It’s time for Jones to offer some evidence that it’s realistic.

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So I show up at Marist tonight excited to get a look at a bunch of young players…and you probably know where this is going…the seniors steal the show.

That won’t be a surprise to anyone. Senior Andrew Ayeni won it for St. Patrick late and seniors Justin Lang and Mason Ross carried the load throughout the game for the RedHawks.

The Shamrocks varsity roster features eight sophomores. Marist’s roster has three sophomores and three freshmen. RedHawks coach Brian Hynes was very clear that he’s still figuring his team and his rotation out. That’s not something you hear very often from a coach that is 9-1, but it makes sense with all the additions and departures he’s dealing with this season.

Young teams are all over the area, which hopefully bodes well for the future. While the top 12-15 ranked teams in appear better than last year’s group in general, the drop off after that is signifcant based on what I’ve seen in the early going. It is also entirely possible I have the wrong teams ranked in that last group. It’s still the get out and see teams portion of the season.

It will be interesting to see which young teams improve the most over the next few months and if any of them can make significant playoff runs.

Friday’s top games

St. Ignatius 51, Fenwick 43: Jackson Kotecki scored 17. He started amping things up during the Wolfpack’s run to Champaign last season and has kept it going. Reggie Ray scored 13.

Oswego 56, Yorkville 51: Speaking of teams still figuring it out, the Foxes are clearly in that category. A really nice win for the Panthers. Jason Jakstys scored 24 for Yorkville.

Naperville North 65, Naperville Central 35: Luke Williams scored 18. Jacob Nolen and Cole Arl each added 11. Maybe the Huskies are a team that should be in the Super 25?

Wheaton-Warrenville South 48, Wheaton North 46: Anyone that has been paying attention over the last decade knows it is only a matter of time until the Tigers join the rankings. Apparently they went on a 23-0 run in the third quarter of this one.

Lemont 57, TF South 47: Big night for Matas Castillo with 29 points. Lemont is 10-0. But still no nickname.

Romeoville 64, Plainfield East 51: The other night at Brother Rice Marc Howard joked that I’m bad luck for his teams, which do have a pretty lousy record when I’m in the building. That wasn’t a problem in this one. Troy Cicero Jr. scored 18 and Meyoh Swansey added 11. Aaron Brown added 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Lincoln-Way East 76, Lincoln-Way West 46: Freshman BJ Powell was 4 of 5 from three and scored 14. George Bellevue added 13 and Griffins are 9-1.

Perspectives-MSA 64, Farragut 63: A very important win for the Wolves’ quest to remain in the Red. They came back from a 12-point deficit. Tomajae Wells had 21 points and six rebounds and Jason Asante added 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Simeon 72, Little Rock, AR 54: A win in Arkansas for the Wolverines. Apparently this school is just called Little Rock? That seems odd for a city of that size. Sam Lewis scored 20, Wes Rubin had 14 and Miles Rubin finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks.

Barrington 53, Schaumburg 39: Still unbeaten, the Broncos are 8-0. Dillon Schmidt scored 17 and Donavan Nichols added 15.

Palatine 33, Conant 16: I almost went to this one. Looks like it may have been a rough watch. Connor May scored 18 and Tyler Swierczek added 13 for the Pirates.

Benet 46, Marian Catholic 37: The Redwings keep rolling. Brayden Fagbemi scored 20.

North Lawndale 73, Lincoln Park 65: Senior guard Ronald Chambers and Jemarje Windfield both had big games. Chambers finished with 21. Windfield is one of the most underrated players in the area. He had 18 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Manley 62, Kelvyn Park 59 OT: Apparently Manley won this in overtime with only three players. That is wild. Freshman Jaali Love had 18 points, 14 rebounds and made the free throws at the end of regulation to send it to OT. Antonio Jackson added 19 points and Quovadis Temples scored 17. The Wildcats are 11-0.

Hinsdale Central 78, Oak Park 75: Big conference win for the Red Devils, who are a serious threat to win their own holiday tournament.

Lyons 58, York 38: Another unbeaten squad. Niklas Polonowski scored 19 for the Lions.

Lindblom 61, U-High 54: Junior Je’Shawn Stevenson scored 29 points in the first game after receiving an offer from NIU. Junior Quentin McCoy added 12 points, 10 assists and six rebounds.

Evanston 54, Loyola 52 2 OT: The Wildkits survive. Prince Adams led the way with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Ephraim Chase scored 11.

Harvard Westlake, CA 64, Young 52: The Dolphins lose in Arkansas. Dalen Davis scored 26.

Joliet West 69, La Crosse Central, Wis. 55: A road win for the Tigers. It’s been awhile since a Joliet team left the state to play. I’m struggling to remember the last time. Possibly not since the split.

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At some point this season it will have to start meaning something for this organization.

A “let’s start giving a damn moment” that turns the continual underachieving around.

It wasn’t against New York in the two-game mini-series, and it definitely wasn’t in the Friday sequel.

In what could have been rock bottom for the 2022-23 campaign so far, the Bulls followed up their Wednesday overtime loss to Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks, by looking completely lifeless in a second half that could best be described as embarrassing to all involved with the team.

Soft on the boards.

Careless with the ball.

No rhythm to an offense that was starting to become “My turn, your turn.”

And in the aftermath of the 114-91 loss at the United Center, the Bulls not only found themselves at 11-17 in the standings, but coming up on a crossroads of sticking to “continuity” in hopes of it somehow turning around or the idea of finding out which pieces could be moveable on the trade market.

Either way, something will have to give soon.

“Our collective spirit needs to be a whole lot better,” coach Billy Donovan said. “You’ve got to be able to have resolve to move through the adversity of things you can’t control.”

Donovan was then asked if this group was even capable of having resolve, and was asked if bringing back this roster as is was a mistake.

“I don’t personally feel that way,” Donovan responded. “I think the character in that locker room is good. We have got to collectively have more resolve. I still feel like we can be better in those areas and have been better. Are we going to have resolve? It’s in our face right now and we’ve got to face it.”

So when?

“It was terrible,” guard Zach LaVine admitted. “We’ve got to be better and we know that. There’s nothing you can do except try and be better the next day.”

Third quarters have been when the Bulls have made up deficits, not fallen into them.

But in a season where very little has been consistent with this team, of course that’s what they did against the Knicks in the rematch.

Watching a second-quarter seven-point lead disappear by the half was one thing, but Donovan’s crew looked completely void of energy out of the locker room, starting with New York’s RJ Barrett driving to the rack for the easy lay-up, and then hitting a three-pointer 30 seconds later.

Sure, the Knicks ended up outscoring the Bulls 29-22 in that stanza, but appearance was everything. All New York did was out-hustle and play like it mattered more. It was nothing special besides that. Of course it helped that they again outrebounded the Bulls in that stanza 13-9, and scored nine points off five Bulls turnovers, but Thibodeau’s crew only shot 3-for-11 from three and missed four free throws.

Surely there would have to be some pride shown in the fourth?

Not with this group.

More turnovers and more stagnant offensive sets, as the Bulls were outscored 27-16 in that final stanza.

By the time the last few minutes rolled around, the United Center crowd finally had something to cheer about, as Derrick Rose checked into the game to “MVP … MVP …” chants and responded by hitting a three.

“You got to have belief in what you’re doing out here,” LaVine added of the current difficulties. “I have confidence in myself and my teammates because we put the work in. If you doubt it then you shouldn’t be here. Obviously it’s tough times, and we’re not trying to go out and play like this.

“We’ve got to own it and try and go out there and play better.”

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ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Blackhawks did a good job suppressing Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello in their first meeting this season against the Wild.

They didn’t fare quite as well in their second meeting Friday.

Zuccarello recorded a hat trick and Kaprizov added the Wild’s other goal in their 4-1 win, extending the Hawks’ misery into yet another weekend.

“They were really good tonight,” Hawks coach Luke Richardson said. “We didn’t kill plays in our ‘D’-zone early, and that just fuels their game. They really get moving in there. I’m sure they probably weren’t happy with their last game against us, either, so they were top-notch today.”

Before the game, Richardson showed the Hawks video clips demonstrating how well they defended the two Wild stars back on Oct. 30. The Hawks lasted to a shootout before losing that night and recorded five of the eight total scoring chances during their five-on-five ice time together.

Containing them again proved impossible, however. Wild coach Dean Evason, utilizing the advantage of second change at home, was able to regularly match up his first line (Zuccarello and Kaprizov centered by Sam Steel) against the Hawks’ first line (Patrick Kane and Sam Lafferty centered by Max Domi) and exploit the defensive weaknesses of that Hawks trio.

The Wild produced 13 of the 17 total scoring chances during Zuccarello and Kaprizov’s five-on-five ice time in this game. The passing on their most dangerous shifts was crisp and quick to the point of being almost unstoppable.

Zuccarello easily could’ve had four goals — and he did tally an assist to finish with four points — if not for a ridiculous reaching-back paddle save in the second period by Hawks goalie Petr Mrazek.

“It’s desperation,” Mrazek said. “It’s a lucky save. I saw they had an empty net [and] I didn’t have anything else to help get there, so I was just trying to focus on the release and put the stick there.”

Mrazek officially recorded only 18 saves, but most of those were heroic stops against high-danger chances. It was one of his best games as a Hawk.

Unfortunately for him, the Hawks “just don’t have enough” clicking right now — in Richardson’s words — to give either of their goalies the support they need. They’ve scored just six goals in their last six games combined.

“Obviously, we’re going through it right now, and we all recognize that,” Domi said. “But we’re not going to quit. We’re not going to stand down. We just have to find a way to just get one [win] here and build on that.”

Johnson, Vlasic injured

Tyler Johnson’s first comeback attempt from his ankle injury lasted only two games.

The veteran forward re-aggravated his ankle Thursday against the Golden Knights, missing the third period, and did not play Friday. Reese Johnson moved back into the lineup and Seth Jones moved back onto the top power-play unit (marking a quick end to the five-forward approach) in his stead.

There’s hope Johnson’s second comeback attempt could come soon, though. Richardson said the Hawks “just want to let it settle down.”

Down in Rockford, Hawks prospect defenseman Alex Vlasic — who had looked as NHL-ready as expected in his first 21 AHL appearances — will miss six weeks with a fractured right fibula.

Filip Roos, who scored in his first career AHL game Tuesday after being sent down, should be able to help compensate for Vlasic’s absence.

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The majority of St. Patrick’s offensive possessions on Friday at Marist went through 6-4 Andrew Ayeni.

So the strong, confident senior was the natural choice to take charge in the game’s defining moment. With the score tied and the seconds ticking away, Ayeni dribbled the ball at the top of the key, waiting to make his move.

He went with 11 seconds to play, scoring on a drive to the basket to grab a 45-41 win for the Shamrocks.

“The team needed a bucket so I had to get a bucket,” Ayeni said.

Sophomore EJ Breland sealed it with a steal on the RedHawks’ final possession and drained two free throws to provide the final margin.

“[Ayeni] is hard to guard and when it was spread out like that the lane was open and I knew he was going to take us home,” Breland said.

Ayeni scored 21 points and had nine rebounds. He’s been on varsity since he was a sophomore.

“He hit game winning shots against Carmel and Lake Forest last year so he’s been in big games on the road,” St. Patrick coach Mike Bailey said. “He stabilizes our younger core and inexperienced seniors. He just has a good way about him.”

Marist (9-1, 4-1 East Suburban Catholic) led by six heading into the fourth quarter and were up by four in the final 90 seconds. The RedHawks didn’t manage a field goal for the final 3:44 of the game. St. Patrick shot 8-for-9 from the free throw line down the stretch to come back.

“We played a little uncharacteristically selfish and without a lot of toughness the first three quarters,” Bailey said. “But these guys have shown already this season that they find a way to put their feet on the ground and in the fourth quarter we played Shamrock basketball.”

Breland finished with seven points and junior AJ Thomas added eight points for St. Patrick (8-2, 4-1).

The Shamrocks won at Loyola on Saturday and beat Marian Catholic on the road in double overtime on Tuesday.

Marist is loaded with promising sophomores and freshmen, including 6-7 Stephen Brown, regarded in the early going as one of the area’s most promising freshmen.

The RedHawks won their first nine games of the season, despite all their youth.

“We’re still trying to figure out the right mix,” Marist coach Brian Hynes said. “Some kids play big nights and some do on other nights.”

Seniors Mason Ross and Justin Lang were unselfish and effective against the Shamrocks and set the tone early for Marist. Ross had 14 points, four rebounds and four assists. Lang added 10 points, four rebounds and three assists.

“They are high character kids that care about their teammates,” Hynes said. “They are like that in the locker room too, which is important when you have such a young group.”

Brown finished with three points and four rebounds. Freshmen Adoni Vassilakis and Achilles Anderson also contributed for Marist, as did sophomores Keshaun Vaval and Marquis Vance.

“Going into the game the undefeated thing started becoming something of its own,” Hynes said. “This is an opportunity to see what we are about. Everything is easy when you are winning.”

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Billy Donovan made it very clear on Friday that everything was still on the table.

Considering the underachieving start for this Bulls roster this season, everything should be for the coach.

So while Donovan made a change to the starting lineup a few weeks ago, he might slowly be walking that change back.

After the embarrassment in Phoenix on Nov. 30, Donovan pulled Patrick Williams and Ayo Dosunmu from the starting lineup, replacing them with Javonte Green and Alex Caruso, respectively. Thanks to a knee injury to Green, that starting lineup received just a one-game look.

Donovan insisted that once Green was back up and running, he would return to the starting lineup. As of Friday, however, he hasn’t.

Green again came off the bench for Williams, and seemingly will until further notice.

“This is a unique situation playing the same [Knicks] team with a day in between, but I think we have to keep evaluating and looking at that [starting lineup],” Donovan said. “I think Javonte has done a good job for us, and I also think Pat’s done a good job too. Plus, it’s about the combination of players and who we’re mixing and matching. It’s something we’ll continue to look at.”

Williams has been matched up with a very physical Julius Randle throughout both games against the Knicks, so it could simply be match-up based, but Williams has also suddenly started playing better with that first unit on the offensive end, scoring seven points in his first-quarter stint.

Either way, what has become obvious the last few weeks is Williams’ continued growth in defending the opposing team’s best player.

“I think it always helps you defensively the more familiar you are with different teams and different personnel,” Donovan said. “He’s light years ahead of where he was as a rookie, just because he was coming in and having to guard a lot of these guys, not knowing much about them. He’s been very solid and reliable for us.”

Rose talk

Former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau has always been adamant about Derrick Rose having his No. 1 jersey hanging in the rafters of the United Center someday.

Coaching Rose with the Timberwolves and now the Knicks, Thibodeau hasn’t changed his stance on that.

Rose was asked about it before the Friday game.

“Of course I’ve thought about it, but only from people asking me about it,” Rose told reporters. “Yeah, for me it wouldn’t be a big problem, but for my family members to see that and the people that have supported me all these years to be part of it, that would be cool. I know the love I’ve received, no matter if it’s here or somewhere else, that’s all I need.”

Unfortunately, Rose or Thibodeau won’t have a vote in that. Rose knows who will.

“It’s up to Jerry [Reinsdorf] and the franchise to make that decision,” Rose added.

Stay calm

Turnovers remain an issue for this Bulls team this season, especially considering they were very careful with the basketball last year, finishing fifth in that category with 12.1 per game. Entering Friday’s Knicks game they were 14th with 14 turnovers per game, and way too many careless ones.

Veteran DeMar DeRozan offered up a solution.

“We’ve got to find that calm when we go out and play,” DeRozan said. “We have to play as the intelligent ones. It’s all about being aware. We get caught up trying to do the right thing too fast, and we get caught up in that. We fight to find that rhythm.”

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