"It's time to break up the Chicago Bulls, blow it up, it's time” -Charles Barkley on rebuilding Chicago Bulls after sluggish season start
Charles Barkley thinks Chicago need to shake things up in order to get out of their troubles.
The Chicago Bulls have struggled this year, to say the least. That's a phrase that has been used numerous times since the season began in October, but there is simply no other way to put it.
This season has shown that despite Lonzo Ball's absence, the team hasn't been able to contend in the Eastern Conference. The team currently boasts a 9-14 record, which has seen them fall to the number 12 spot in the conference standings.
Thanks to a lack of perimeter shooting and an incredibly limited offense that frequently sees players like Patrick Williams excluded from play, many are ready for change. And according to Hall of Famer Charles Barkley and many other Chicago fans, the Bulls need to shake things up.
Barkley spoke during an appearance on ESPN1000 Radio Wednesday to give his thoughts on the state of the Bulls, saying:
"It's time to break up the Chicago Bulls. Blow it up. It's time. It's time to start the rebuild and start over."
The comments certainly alluded to a larger issue for the Bulls, which is that any type of rebuild will take even longer due to a lack of immediate first-round draft picks. In the Nikola Vucevic trade, the team gave up two first-round picks before giving up a third first-round pick in the DeMar DeRozan trade.
Will the Chicago Bulls 'blow it up', like Charles Barkley suggests?
This isn't the first time media members have discussed the Chicago Bulls' ongoing struggles. Prior to a recent game against the Golden State Warriors, Adrian Wojnarowski claimed that teams around the league were monitoring the situation in Chicago.
He explained that teams were waiting to see whether or not the franchise would make DeMar DeRozan, Zach Laandne, and Nikola Vucevic available before the trade deadline. The news was sobering, as the Bulls had just exited a rebuild prior to Arturas Karnisova and Marc Eversley taking over front office duties.
The front office's willingness to ride or die with DeRozan, LaVine, and Vucevic also has a ripple effect. Why are DeRozan, LaVine, and Vucevic still on the team if they aren't going to make a playoff run or even finish .500?
They aren't getting the opportunities they need to improve, which will continue to harm the team in the long run. With a disappointing record this season, the Bulls must decide whether to hope that the current team can miraculously turn things around, or if it is time to look forward.
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