Chicago Tribune (Sunday)

Coach reflects as he comes back to Utah

Boylen believes he’s matured, is becoming more tolerant

- By Teddy Greenstein tgreenstei­n@chicagotri­bune.com Twitter @TeddyGreen­stein

SALT LAKE CITY — Tom Thibodeau was a taskmaster. Fred Hoiberg was a low-key players’ coach.

On what side of the scale does Jim Boylen fall? Tough to say.

After the Warriors obliterate­d his Bulls on Friday night, Boylen alternated between old-school and new-school, tough guy and sympatheti­c soul.

At times he expressed compassion, saying: “I’m just trying to support our guys — we have a young group. Of course nobody likes getting their butt kicked, but we’ll take the good moments and build on them and take the bad moments and learn from them.”

He also was critical of his players for allowing Klay Thompson to drain three 3-pointeres in the game’s first 70 seconds, saying: “I don’t know if we were watching them, if we were in awe, fearful … we were a little too respectful.”

And then asked if there would be some “boots to asses” reactions from him, Boylen replied: “Yeah, well, we’ve had some boots to asses and will continue to have that. We’ll handle that in practice.”

Maybe coaches don’t have to pick a lane. There was only one Pat Riley. There was only one Phil Jackson.

The Bulls took the floor Saturday night against the Jazz having lost six straight games, four by double digits. They played it close most of the game but still lost 110-102 as Donovan Mitchell torched the Bulls for 34 points. Five Bulls scored in double figures, but no one topped Zach LaVine’s 21 points on 7-for-21 shooting.

One night earlier in Oakland, Calif., they were run off the court. The Warriors led 43-17 after one, the largest first-quarter deficit for a Bulls team in franchise history.

“We definitely didn’t come out with an edge,” rookie forward Wendell Carter Jr. said, “and didn’t execute our game plan on defense.”

Boylen expressed pride that the Bulls “won” the second quarter, outscoring the NBA champions 38-33.

“I think you’ve got to talk about that,” Boylen said. “Win the next moment. Break it down. Try to win two of four quarters, three of four quarters.”

The play that typified the Bulls’ lackluster effort came in the third quarter: With the Warriors leading 110-70, Stephen Curry was left all alone at the top of the key. He was so open, you half-wondered if the Bulls had five players on the court.

Curry misfired and immediatel­y hustled to the corner to retrieve the ball. Carter then chased after Curry, who dished, retreated to the 3-point line, received the ball and hit the shot.

Carter’s perspectiv­e?

“Ain’t gonna lie,” he said, “him being that wide open, I thought it was nothing but net. He missed it and I saw him coming. I thought: What the heck? He went like he was going to cut, so I was going with him. I turn around and he’s already shooting. Man. Steph is on a whole ‘nother planet.”

The Warriors missed 39 shots and rebounded 11 of them. The Bulls missed 43 shots and tracked down just five.

Was a “boots to ass” response warranted?

Boylen on Saturday returned to Salt Lake City, where hoops fans called him “Jimmy Ball” after he led the University of Utah to the NCAA tournament in 2009.

“I think people in Utah liked my passion,” he said.

Forward Will Clyburn, who now plays profession­ally in Moscow, thrived under Boylen, calling him both a “hard-nosed coach” and a “loving guy” off the court.

“He really loves the game, so when stuff was not going right, emotionall­y, he would really get into it and push you,” he said. “He would say some stuff to you where you’d either crack or keep going.”

That meshes with the narrative that formed after Boylen was hired. Within days, some Bulls threatened to blow off a Sunday practice following a franchisew­orst 56-point loss to the Celtics.

Boylen responded by forming a leadership committee to give players a voice.

Asked Saturday how he has changed since Utah fired him in 2011, Boylen replied: “Maturity. I think I’m a better communicat­or than I was then. I’m a little more patient, more tolerant. And hopefully wiser.”

Boylen is signed through next season. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowsk­i reported Saturday that $1 million of Boylen’s $1.6 million salary for the 2019-20 season is guaranteed, leaving the Bulls flexibilit­y if they want to conduct a search after the season.

 ?? CHRIS SWEDA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE ?? The Bulls’ Jim Boylen was the coach at the University of Utah from 2007-11.
CHRIS SWEDA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE The Bulls’ Jim Boylen was the coach at the University of Utah from 2007-11.

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