NEWSLETTER
Zach LaVine is taking his talents to South Beach … Tennessee. And the rest of the team is following him! In what was a shocking announcement, the Chicago Bulls shared earlier this month that they would hold nearly their first full week of training camp out-of-state.
The plan is to host Media Day at the United Center on Oct. 2nd, before departing for Nashville the following day. Using Belmont University’s facilities, the team will begin training camp before returning to Chicago after their first preseason game in Milwaukee on Oct. 8.
So why Tennessee? And why leave the Advocate Center at all? Well, long-time Chicago Bulls staffer and current Director of Performance Health Chip Schaefer recently provided some insight (and, no, he didn’t say it was because Jerry Reinsdorf was scouting places to move the White Sox).
Here’s what he had to say during an appearance on Stacey Kings’ Gimme the Hot Sauce Podcast:
“Other than those two, the roster is largely the same. And I think coach Donovan, at least he expressed to me, just felt like coaching staff largely the same, roster largely the same, let’s do something a little bit different …
Many teams do it, the Chicago Bulls have never done it in their history, so this is first. And I just think coach Donovan thought it would be nice way to kind of bond and bring people together for a few days.”
Schaefer also went on to say that the front office also settled on Nashville because of its mix of proximity and activity. The trip should be close enough to home that it doesn’t feel like too big of a commitment, while players should also have their fair share of off-the-court things to do.
All things considered, for a franchise that has a tendency to get stuck in its ways and has most recently made “continuity” its slogan, I appreciate this sentiment. Head coach Billy Donovan is clearly looking for ways to start this season on the right foot and keep things fresh. And, hey, a little team bonding can go a long way, particularly after a season where drama had a seat on the bench. Whether it was Donovan benching LaVine, questions about the DeRozan-LaVine fit, or a slew of will-they-won’t-they trade talk, the 2022-23 season wasn’t void of the theatrics.
Having said that, is anyone else the slightest uneasy about the fact that Donovan thought this was necessary? I don’t want to overthink it and do genuinely find the decision to be a perfectly fine one, but I do think it further speaks to the idea that this team has become stale. I’m just hoping this organization doesn’t see things like a few days in Nashville as an adequate alternative to, ya know, making roster changes.
But, again, it’s not like this training camp decision will make or break the season. I think it’s at least worth a shot, and I’m glad somebody inside the Chicago Bulls organization was at least willing to do something a little different.
