The Bulls launched theirs with a draft night trade of Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves on June 22, 2017. The Hawks made their direction clear on July 3, 2017, when they allowed Paul Millsap to walk to the Nuggets in free agency without so much as offering him a contract.
At the United Center on Wednesday evening, the two teams collided. While no single game tells the full story, it did seem reflective of each franchise’s trajectory. In a 121-101 win, the Hawks were organized and persistent in showcasing their modern style. The Bulls were relentless only in displaying their disarray and commitment to times gone by.
Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce shares general manager Travis Schlenk’s vision of replicating – to a degree – the style of the Warriors, for whom Schlenk previously worked. Against an awful foe, they did that fairly well Wednesday, shooting 15-of-40 on 3-pointers and assisting on 31 of their 45 field goals. It was par for the course, as Atlanta attempts the sixth-most 3-pointers in the NBA.
Meanwhile, the Bulls (11-37) are apparently replicating the 1990s. The day began with first-year coach Jim Boylen proclaiming in an interview on 670 The Score that he would like to run more isolation post-ups. When observed against the backdrop of a similarly limited, youth-infused Hawks team that does have a plan, the Bulls’ lack of organization and feel for the game were staggering.
On the Bulls’ opening possession, Chandler Hutchison missed swinging the ball to an open Lauri Markkanen, the team’s best 3-point marksman, on the perimeter in favor of hoisting his own missed 3-pointer. Hutchison is shooting 30.2 percent on 3-pointers this season.
At least Hutchison’s shot was an open 3-pointer. It beat the sight of Kris Dunn stubbornly continuing to shoot mid-range jumpers, the Bulls running dribble hand-offs for the offensively challenged Shaq Harrison or Zach LaVine embarking on a solo mission to the hoop before his teammates arrived, then having no open passing lanes due to a lack of space and angles.
After the Hawks (15-32) put their space-and-pace style into practice, Boylen was left to reference intangible traits that he believes carry meaning but are hard for outsiders to understand.
"Our grit and toughness need to be better," Boylen said, as if that had something to do with being outscored by 21 points from behind the 3-point line.
On the defensive end, the Bulls had the darnedest time containing Hawks rookie point guard Trae Young. And think about that for a moment: I earnestly wrote the Bulls had a hard time corralling a player who shot 1-of-12 and scored five points.
Representing how the Hawks want to play, Young was the driving force for his team. He got to the spots he wanted out of the pick-and-roll. His forays into the paint often came not with an eye on the hoop but toward canvassing for open teammates, who understood how to properly spread the floor, when to cut and when to take off for a rim run and possible lob. If their faith wasn’t directly rewarded by one of Young’s 12 assists, it nonetheless created opportunity for others, such as John Collins, who had a game-high 35 points.
At times, the Hawks’ game plan simply relied on their basketball intelligence and will over that of the Bulls, by way of having Young dribble into the teeth of the defense with force and the belief the Chicago defense would eventually crack. The Hawks were usually right.
The disorder of the Bulls was created by the front office tandem of John Paxson and Gar Forman, whose missteps haven’t just been reflected in an incongruous basketball team but also in philosophical decisions amid a rebuild as well. In July, the Bulls had the choice of using their $20-million plus of cap space to add a free agent or use/save their space to take on a bad contract with an asset attached. The Bulls chose to take a flier on Jabari Parker, who sat out with a patellar tendon strain Wednesday amid what’s been a lost season for him.
The Hawks had a similar choice and decided to use their cap space to absorb Carmelo Anthony’s bloated contract in a trade with the Thunder in which they acquired a future first-round pick. Atlanta then bought out Anthony for $25.5 million.
The twilight of his career upon him, Anthony is now technically a Bull after Chicago took on his veteran’s minimum contract in a much lower-profile salary dump with the Houston Rockets on Monday. For their generosity in this case, the Bulls acquired around $900,000 in cash. The Hawks have an enviable asset.
Rebuilds are certainly multi-faceted. It takes so much to contend at a championship level. Talent is more important than anything else, but beyond that, structure is vital. It fosters much-needed continuity and culture that leads to greater success.
In the infancy of their rebuild, the Hawks are promisingly displaying those characteristics at times. The Bulls have yet to do so, further clouding and stalling whatever future they aim to have.