Zach LaVine is looking for adjustments to be made, especially coming out of halftime when he and his Bulls teammates seemingly always stumble.
Guard Kris Dunn wants urgency, and a feeling that the continual losses actually mean something. That they hurt.
Coach Jim Boylen wants consistency. In his first full season as head coach, yes, he has built an identity on the defensive end, but the offense gets lost far too often.
All three are searching for something more in Year 3 of this rebuild, but in a bottom-line business like the NBA is, all they have is a 13-25 record after the latest embarrassing loss to an undermanned New Orleans team.
“I think we have grown offensively,’’ Boylen said, when asked about the troubles on that end of the basketball court. “I think we are more comfortable in the system. We are making more basketball plays — backdoors and forceful cuts — for situations where we get a layup in the half-court. That is happening more often … not enough but more often.
“We are spending a lot of time in video review and walkthrough review in situations where we can be better offensively. We’ve established a defensive identity. We know how we want to play offensively and have not played as well as I would’ve hoped. I can’t deny that.’’
At least someone with this organization is insisting they’re not in denial.
And there is just one of the many issues this franchise is still hampered with: They fail to see — or admit to — mistakes that they make, and by the time they realize they have gone down the wrong path it’s often too late to come back from.
The two-game road trip to Dallas and New Orleans was just another reminder of that. They took on two organizations that — like the Bulls — have gone the way of the rebuild over the last few seasons, but have been decisive in their decisions in a quickly changing NBA landscape.
The Mavericks looked to have a keeper in first-round pick Dennis Smith Jr. three seasons ago, but obviously were able to step back while there was still hype around his game, assess what he truly was, and then flip him in a package for Kristaps Porzingis. All of that after trading with Atlanta during the 2018 NBA Draft, and making sure they landed Luka Doncic.
Doncic has turned into a star, Porzingis is a solid No. 2, and more importantly, the Mavericks are a relevant playoff contender in the Western Conference.
The Pelicans need some credit as well. They were being held hostage by a top five talent in Anthony Davis at this point last season, and rather than ride out a final year before losing him to the market, swallowed their pride and sent him to the Los Angeles Lakers, who were courting him all along.
This was a New Orleans organization that won 48 games during the 2017-18 season and was a No. 6 seed in the West.
The return for Davis was Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three first-round draft picks. Ingram might be the only long-term keeper, but Ball and Hart are role players that can be moved on from.
Did some draft lottery luck come their way last spring? Absolutely. Hitting the Zion Williamson sweepstakes was an organizational changer, especially once the big man shows he can stay healthy.
But there’s a plan in New Orleans, a commitment to a new look after the front office underwent a housecleaning over the summer with David Griffin taking over basketball operations and Trajan Langdon named the new general manager.
The Bulls got a glimpse of both organizations up close and personal this week. And two more losses.
