Speaking on NBA Today this week, NBA veteran Kendrick Perkins opened up on the situation with Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls. After a report came out blasting LaVine for refusing to cooperate, Perkins came to the defense of the player and explained why the Bulls needed to take some of the blame for what went wrong.
“Who is this source that’s the first question I have to ask because they’re out of line. Passing the blame all on Zach LaVine when what has the Bulls front office done lately… Did they win in free-agency? No. Did they win with draft picks? No. Billy Donovan got a contract extension, what has he done? No accountability for the front office and the organization… I just want to know who that source is.”
LaVine finds himself back in the spotlight this week as the Bulls continue to look for a suitable trade partner. After requesting a trade last season, Zach has yet to play for the organization and there’s a brutal stalemate happening between him and the front office.
The Bulls, since Lonzo Ball went down years ago, have been a complete mess both on and off the court. Between bad decision-making and an ill-fitted roster, they never achieved much and their ambitions only reached as high as the first round.
Zach was caught in the middle of the chaos and as the de-facto face of the franchise, fans were quick to blame him for their despair. Eventually, Zach got so sick of the heat that he demanded out and he’s still waiting for a new team today.
As much as they want to point the finger at Zach, the Bulls aren’t blameless in their perpetual mediocrity. They traded the farm for him years ago, and they sacrificed their future to build a big three of LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vicevic,
Since bringing them together, they haven’t done much to build a contender but they are hoping to get a boost when their starting point guard, Lonzo Ball, finally makes his return next season. Without Zach, there’s only so far the Bulls can go until the situation grows beyond their control.
Even so, the pressure is on for this Bulls regime to make a move and do something for them to win their first title since 1998. They don’t have enough as presently constructed but it’s a mess they partly created after years of wasting lottery picks on mid-level role-players.
Some, like Perkins, are speaking out against the Bulls for daring to challenge their star athlete after such a poor track record of decision-making. But until the Bulls win the title, they will keep finding new scapegoats until something clicks.
As a team, the best thing they could do might be to replace the GM and front office with a new voice but they are in full control now with no signs of leaving. For better or worse, the Bulls are at their mercy and whether or not they can succeed without another rebuild could depend entirely on the moves they make between now and the deadline in February.
