The message from the Bulls on Thursday was simple: There was very little they were comfortable in discussing.
According to a team source, that was the stance the organization was taking until the NBA announces a definitive plan in the wake of the league announcing on Wednesday that the remainder of the 2019-20 season was suspended because of the COVID-19 virus infecting two players so far.
The Bulls did get the players, coaching staff, and traveling party out of Orlando and back to Chicago in the afternoon, and the source did say that coach Jim Boylen has been very front-and-center in talking to the team about different scenarios.
A team statement was released after they landed, saying, “The Chicago Bulls returned home from Orlando, Fla. on Thursday, March 12. Following the league’s direction on the suspension of games, and at the recommendation of the team’s medical staff and team physicians, the Bulls have stopped all basketball operations activities for the next few days as a proactive measure to social distance.
“No player has reported experiencing any symptoms at this time. Players, coaches and basketball operations personnel have been asked to remain in the Chicagoland area and to exercise good judgment related to personal hygiene and social distancing.
“This is a fluid situation that we are all navigating together. Once the NBA has determined next steps for the season, we will work with the league to provide updates as necessary.’’
And that’s the problem right now is there are so many unknowns, especially for a Bulls team that was nowhere near a playoff spot with 17 regular-season games left.
The only precedent from a basketball standpoint was the Chinese Basketball Association shutting down back in January. They are now just moving forward to resume play in April. So if the NBA is hoping for a two-week layoff, that’s likely not very realistic.
Even if there is a best-case scenario in this and the shutdown goes into mid-April, starting up league play right where the schedule ended would mean an NBA Finals in July. Also not very realistic, considering the league is so aware of load management and players resting, and having such a short offseason for recovery could prove to be disastrous.
Dallas owner Mark Cuban said the league informed him late Wednesday night that teams could continue to practice, but that would also seem to be unrealistic at this point. The Bulls haven’t even broached that topic, said a source.
And while the effects of the basketball end of this as it relates to the Bulls is so far removed at this point, they are still in the business of running an organization.
If there is a positive for this as far as COO Michael Reinsdorf is concerned, it gives him time to continue developing a plan for a revamped front office.
The Sun-Times first reported back on All-Star Game Sunday that the Bulls had started the early stages of adding a new face – or faces – to the front office. There has been some progress in that search since, but it still remains in the fact-finding stages.
That means a lot of uncertainty on what vice president of basketball operations John Paxson’s role will be, as well as the eventual fate of Boylen.
It seemed like Reinsdorf was running out of time to start bringing in candidates, especially during a busy end-of-the-season push for many teams, but a league-wide stoppage could free up the Bulls to invest even more in the process.
What has quietly taken place this season is former ambassador Scottie Pippen is no longer in that role, while general manager Gar Forman has been slowly neutered to the point where only the chairman Jerry Reinsdorf is keeping him around.
