Jim Boylen has had a rough first week as head coach of the Chicago Bulls.
The former assistant and associate coach was handed the reins after Fred Hoiberg was relieved of his duties last week and has found life quite difficult at the top as he has almost faced a full boycott.
According to several sources, players exchanged texts among each other, debating whether or not they should attend practice on Sunday, something Boylen has partly denied.
PREVIOUSLY: BULLS WILL AFFORD JIM BOYLEN EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO REMAIN THEIR HEAD COACH
The Bulls suffered the worst loss in their history on Saturday night as the Boston Celtics outscored them by a whopping 56 points. Boylen ticked off his players by subbing all five of his starters twice during the game, but calling for practice on Sunday was the last straw.
NBA rules clearly state that practice sessions shouldn't be held the day after a back-to-back, but Boylen ordered one anyway, despite his team beating the Oklahoma City Thunder the night before they played Boston.
As a result, and per Yahoo Sports, the players contacted the National Basketball Players Association on Sunday to complain about the coach's "extreme tactics".
Ultimately, they reached a compromise and made their way to the team's facilities, but with zero intention to practice. Instead, they demanded a meeting during which issues were aired out.
Meanwhile, Boylen has defended his actions by noting that Gregg Popovich, whom he worked with in San Antonio, has never been criticized for doing the same.
A player responded to that by implying that they aren't the Spurs and, more so, Boylen isn't Popovich.
“You have to earn it, year by year,” former Spurs guard Tony Parker said Yahoo Sports on Sunday night. “Pop didn’t become Pop in one year. It takes winning, obviously. Winning helps. And building trust between the players and the coaches.
“You have to build trust, and yeah, Pop did it, [pulling five players at once]. I was coming from Europe, I was just trying to make it. When it happened, I waited for my next opportunity.”
What This Means
Boylen's approach to coaching simply isn't working. Since taking over from Hoiberg, all he has managed to do is upset his players.
The Bulls want him to remain in charge next season but he's hardly doing himself a favor with his methods and should really take a step back if he is to turn things around and get the squad on his side.