Jim Boylen made sure anyone in earshot knew he felt that he was returning as Bulls head coach for the 2020-21 season.
But as forward Lauri Markkanen pointed out in a Monday Zoom call with the media, “I read the internet just like everybody else.’’
First, Boylen was reported to be out, then there was growing momentum around the facility and with the players that he could be back. A fluid situation that played out from month-to-month, week-to-week. So when the new regime finally decided to move on from Boylen in August and go in a different direction with that head coaching seat?
Honestly, Markkanen was kind of numb to it by that point.
“Yeah, it was a weird day at the … I was at the practice facility working out when I heard the news,’’ Markkanen recalled. “I knew there were talks about it. Things didn’t go our way this year, but that’s on all of us. Again, nothing against him. I wish him the best and we move on. I didn’t really have a reaction.’’
He’s numb no longer.
Doubts about him after a down season, and now a new coach like Billy Donovan running the show have the former No. 7 overall pick from the 2017 more than perked up.
Yep, they even have the usually stoic big man promising “comeback.’’
“Yeah, I think there’s a lot of things I think we thought would have gone better last year, but of course I’m going to look at myself, and I can always go and play with more energy and I can always rebound better, and I think that’s what gets me going,’’ Markkanen said, when critiquing his down season. “That’s one of the main things, and I think it just pushed me this summer. I’ve been going hard, and I’m really excited about the upcoming year and think I can make the ‘comeback,’ you know.
“[This upcoming season is] really important. I’ve got to show people that I can come back from the down year I had, and it didn’t put me down at all. I’m just super excited about this year and I think we’re moving in the right direction.’’
The Bulls have been scrimmaging in their own team bubble for just under a week, but Markkanen has been putting in offseason work ever since the coronavirus ended the season for the Bulls.
That means individual work initially, then returning to Finland to play with some of his international teammates, and now back in Chicago the last month for this voluntary team gathering.
The end game is that the player that was far too inconsistent last season, and at times sounded like a guy that was unhappy to even be in a Bulls uniform is gone. Having a new front office, new coach, and a new offensive system could go a long way in making sure that guy won’t be returning, either.
“I do think I can be more productive, more versatile than I was last year,’’ Markkanen said of feeling underutilized in Boylen’s offense. “Not all times, but there were times I felt like I was just used as spacing the floor, but I think just talking to Billy I’m really confident this year just by one conversation how he uses players to their strengths. So I’m excited.’’
The Bulls should be too. If they could get the player that averaged 26 points and 12.2 rebounds per game in February 2019, rather than the enigma that averaged 14.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game all of last season, well, it would be like adding a proven free agent without writing a new check.
“I’m just trying to look forward and be positive,’’ Markkanen said. “I’m just really excited to work with Coach Donovan from this point on now.’’
