Let’s start by breaking down what really is not working for the Chicago Bulls. Here is a look at the current roster:

via ESPN

At first glance this seems to be a team with good roster construction, containing a mix of veteran presence and a young core to really build on. When this type of roster is in place, a few things need to happen in order for them as a group to make the leap into playoff contention: 1) Young players have to develop their skill-sets, 2) Each player has to understand and accept their role, and 3) A coach to put everyone in a position to succeed.

Zach LaVine has taken many steps forward in the development of his game. He has learned to take control when necessary and has proven that he can take and make the big shot. However, as with any young player he is still learning to choose his spots wisely. Often times the numbers at the end of the game make us forget that the team rhythm can be thrown off when one player controls the ball so much. Zach LaVine’s usage rate this season is an astonishing 31.2%, ranking 13th in the league. He is above guys like Devin Booker, Brandon Ingram, and Damian Lillard. However, when looking at his Win-Shares he falls to 57th in the league. Of course he cannot be the only player to blame. Otto Porter Jr. has been unable to stay healthy, Denzel Valentine never took that next step, Lauri Markkanen seems to have regressed in certain aspects of his game, and our abundance of point guards has become a carousel leaving us with Kris Dunn as the starter. Coby White isn’t quite who we hoped to be at this point, but it’s still too early to panic with him. When a team continues to struggle in this manner, players begin to focus on securing their own future rather than team success. Thankfully it does not yet seem to have hit that point, but a correction needs to be made sooner rather than later.

via Google

The next, and one of the most frequent questions, to answer is whether Jim Boylen is the problem. As you can see in the screenshot from Googling “Jim Boylen”, this is a topic that has been broached repeatedly. One of the main roles as an NBA Head Coach is to help players meet their potential and putting each player in a position to succeed. It is not by no means an extreme view to say that he has failed at this task. There is plenty of evidence since he took over this role that players have not respected his authority and overtly defy him at times. When you cannot get your key players, namely Zach LaVine, to buy in, then the other players will follow in his lead. This lack of respect is compounded by old school methods of coaching and some down-right questionable mid-game decisions. Making substitutions where the entire 5 man unit comes out at a time? It is almost unheard of in today’s game to have an entirely new rotation in the game unless a blowout is underway. In fairness to Jim Boylen, maybe he is always in the mode of, “We are being blown out” considering the regularity with which this has become a reality for the Bulls this season. To punish your best player in Zach LaVine for a couple of missed defensive assignments and benching him for the remainder a game that we could have won is just another example of his antiquated coaching techniques. All in all, Jim Boylen does not seem to be the answer for this team, but the Front Office just does not see it yet.

These are all true concerns, but who is really to blame? Is it the players for not putting their best foot forward on the court? Is it Jim Boylen for not putting his players in a position to succeed? Realistically, it is a combination of both that leads to a team under-achieving despite having a goal as simple as reaching the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. 41 games in, they sit both 5 games out of the playoffs and also 5 games away from the worst record in the Eastern Conference. If things do not turn around rather quickly, it seems like this will be another lost season leading to a middle of the pack lottery pack. The never-ending mediocrity will continue for at least another year.