A DEVELOPING STORY

Karnisovas brings hope to Bulls, but this season will be about making evaluations, not playoffs

Finally, some light. A thorough housecleaning at 15 S. Wood St. the last seven months made it possible. The malodorous swamp at the Advocate Center had to be drained once and for all.

Longtime Bulls general manager Gar Forman? Gone. Jim Boylen and most of his coaching staff ? Fired. The joke of a oneperson developmental staff ? Replaced with five people now running that department.

Executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas is calling all the shots now.

And there is hope for the Bulls.

Just not this season.

The Bulls made major changes in the front office and coaching staff, but the roster was locked in. Besides the additions of rookie forward Patrick Williams and free- agent guard Garrett Temple, the band is all back. It’s a collective that seemingly underachieved with 22 wins last season with a core group that has only seen the postseason on TV. Don’t expect that to change.

This season is about development and evaluation, with Karnisovas, new coach Billy Donovan and general manager Marc Eversley deciding which pieces they want to keep and who becomes a possible trade asset. Memo to Bulls players: Rent, don’t buy.

As far as the big picture in the NBA, it’s still: You come at the king, you best not miss.

LeBron James and the Lakers are poised for back- to- back titles as James continues to cement his standing as the best all- around talent to ever play the game.