DON’T GET THAD, GET LEAVIN’
Dealing unhappy Young would be favor to him, boon for Markkanen
The Bulls should deserve at least some credit at the midway point of the 2019-20 campaign.
After all, it isn’t easy to make veteran forward Thaddeus Young — a player whose reputation league-wide had always been sterling — unhappy this quickly into a season.
But this organization has somehow done it. After 13 NBA seasons, they’ve broken Thad Young.
That’s why it’s time to pull the plug on the Young experiment, and look to trade him elsewhere as the Feb. 6 trade deadline approaches. Free the man of this sinking ship.
It’s not Young’s fault. When he signed a three-year, $41 million contract to leave the Pacers for the Bulls rebuild last summer, he did so with different expectations. The SunTimes reported last month that Young and his camp thought there would be more minutes for him as a key reserve.
And while he remains the good soldier, doing what’s been asked of him with no pushback, he’s also been very honest with the media, letting it be known that he not only would like the increased minutes, but feels his experience would be welcomed on the floor as part of the group that closes out games.
There’s another reason that Young should be dealt, however.
If the Bulls truly believe that Lauri Markkanen is one of their pillars holding up the rebuild foundation, it’s becoming clear with each game that he needs to have the chance to sink or swim with extended playing time.
Markkanen and Young shouldn’t be an either or from night to night.
Monday in Boston was a reminder of that. Young got it going after the Bulls starters stumbled through the first quarter and dug a huge deficit, so coach Jim Boylen rode the vet. In doing so, that also meant Markkanen sitting for a stint of almost 11 minutes of game time while Young did his thing.
That’s a problem, and even the team-firstminded Markkanen couldn’t duck that.
“I feel like you get a little bit cold after that,’’ Markkanen said of long sitting moments.
He should know, because Monday wasn’t the first time that’s happened to him this season.
“But it’s nothing you can’t get through,’’ Markkanen said. “Twenty-two years old, you get warm going to the scorers’ table.’’
Maybe, but Markkanen has rarely done that.
The 7-footer has lost his “unicorn’’ status this season, going from the next big thing in the mind of the Bulls to an enigma. The blame starts with Markkanen, and he didn’t deny that.
“Obviously, I had my bad stretch in the beginning and kind of picked it up after that,’’ Markkanen said, when asked to assess his season so far. “Just don’t know what to say. I’ve had my moments, but I obviously expect more from myself.
“So I’m disappointed in myself because I think if I played at a normal level we’d probably have a couple more wins. I think I can do a better job.’’
Not sitting and watching Young do his thing.
Maybe the intent of adding Young was good initially. The Bulls were hoping that Young could get his minutes backing up Otto Porter Jr. at the three and Markkanen at the four. There was even the thought of going small late in games, using Young at the four and Markkanen at the five for his outside shooting over Wendell Carter Jr.
That was predicated on Markkanen using last offseason to bulk up like he did. However, Markkanen has shown that he can’t handle extended minutes against opposing NBA centers. And with Carter’s defense and rebound so necessary — at least before the ankle injury that could cost him the next month — Boylen has been painted into a corner with that rotation.
That’s why someone has to go. Young deserves better at this point.