Night one and the Bulls are already in crisis mode, since the team had a players-only meeting after their 124-104 loss to OKC.
It was clear there was a lot of frustration between teammates as they finished the game with just a 28.6 percent shot rate from three.
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan came into the locker room after the game and noticed some heavy discussions being had, per Julia Poe.
Donovan asked the players if they wanted him to leave and they said yes.
“That would’ve never happened last year. It would’ve been a quiet group,” Donovan said. “So the confrontation piece is a sign that it’s important to them. And they know we’ve got to be better.”
Big man Nikola Vucevic said that the meeting was necessary following a performance like that.
“A lot of guys said a lot of good things, things that needed to be said,” Vucevic told K.C Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “I think we can really use this to learn and change some things that we need to change. It wasn’t anything crazy, no fighting or none of that — it was really constructive. It was maybe one of the first times since I’ve been here that this was like this. And it was really needed.”
One of the franchises best players, Zach LaVine, had a forgettable night where he went 4-16 shooting, plus committed four turnovers and had to sit due to foul trouble.
“Wasn’t a great showing from us,” LaVine said. “Didn’t shoot the ball well, don’t feel like we played with enough heart. And that’s on us. It’s a terrible way to come out and start the season. But it gives us a opportunity to bounce back the next game.”
The Bulls didn’t make any notable splashes during the offseason.
Will it come back to haunt them?