A pattern has reared its head too often in this most puzzling of Bulls seasons.
Coaches establish a game plan. The game plan is disseminated and drilled, either at a morning shootaround or, in the case of Monday, a morning meeting and film session. Fred Hoiberg then praises the players’ attentiveness and absorption of said game plan.
And then, at least in some of the many head-scratching losses, players stray from it.
After Sunday’s loss to the Clippers in Los Angeles, Pau Gasol and Jimmy Butler said the Bulls lack discipline. Given that Hoiberg is a first-year NBA coach and the Bulls are a veteran team, whose fault is that?
“It’s on everybody,” Hoiberg said. “We watch a lot of film going into these games. Each coach is responsible for a scouting report. You spend a lot of time and effort putting the game plan together, and it’s very important to do the things that you put together to give yourself the best chance to win that game.
“We didn’t do that the other night against the Clippers. We did do that against the Lakers. We’ve done it on multiple occasions this year, and we’ve had slippage in certain games. It’s got to be something where the guys can look each other in the face and hold each other responsible and accountable when they’re not doing it on the floor and be able to take that.”
Players have cited a lack of communication for defensive issues. But the Bulls also have had several impressive victories over top-tier teams.
This inconsistency can be attributed somewhat to Mike Dunleavy not yet playing this season and losing another key rotation piece in Joakim Noah. But with a veteran core of Gasol, Butler and Derrick Rose, it’s still mostly maddening.
“You talk about veterans, but we’ve also got a lot of new players who are playing in rotations for the first time in their careers. So you’ve got that mix,” Hoiberg said. “Just when you think you’re hitting stride, you have a setback with somebody going out of the lineup. Then you have to insert somebody else that you hope fills the shoes. We’ve had some of that.
“Is that an excuse? No. You have to do your job to the best of your abilities.”