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Malika AndrewsESPN
CHICAGO — The Bulls‘ coaches and players agree on at least one thing: The team meetings held instead of a scheduled practice on Sunday were needed for the young team.
Players said that despite emotions running high following Saturday night’s 133-77 loss to the Celtics, marking the Bulls’ largest losing margin in a game in team history, shootaround on Monday ahead of their game against the Sacramento Kings was productive.
“I think we came out the better for it,” Robin Lopez said of Sunday’s meetings. “I think we’re more understanding.”
Coach Jim Boylen emphatically pushed back on the notion that the entire team did not want to practice Sunday.
“That is not true,” Boylen said. “The truth is we had a couple guys that thought a Sunday practice was excessive after the week we had. And they have to trust me that if I bring them in here to practice, I’m going to manage their legs, and manage what we’re going to do.
“We cleared that up and we’re moving on. Everybody is allowed to make a mistake. Everybody is allowed to get sideways a little bit. This is an emotional roller coaster at this level. So, new coach, tough week, big win, we got our butt kicked. Everybody is human. Everybody has a reason to do what they do and a lot of times we’ve all done it where we look back and say, ‘God, I wish I would’ve done that differently.’ We could’ve handled that differently.”
For the first time this season, the Bulls will have a full roster. Bobby Portis and Kris Dunn will be returning to the court after missing nearly seven weeks each with sprained MCLs. Dunn suffered his injury in the Bulls’ Oct. 22 game against the Mavericks, and Portis’ injury occurred two days later during the Bulls’ game against Charlotte.
“It’s nice to start getting guys back,” Lopez said. “One thing I do wish is I do wish [former coach] Fred [Hoiberg] had been given that opportunity. But we have Jim as our coach now. We’re going to go out the way he wants us to play and do things the way he wants them done.”
Boylen said he had yet to meet with the training staff to discuss how many minutes Portis and Dunn will play Monday night, but he said both players will have minute restrictions and will come off the bench. Last season, Dunn started at point guard and Portis came off the bench as the sixth man.