Chicago Bulls: 3 positives from Thaddeus Young addition
2. Young gives them leadership and toughness
There are some who may ignore the impact that leadership and team chemistry have on a team (i.e. the Houston Rockets). Some may argue that it’s overrated and talent overrules it all.
With Thad Young, the Bulls are getting both, in a talented player who slides into a nice bench role and brings a hard-nosed leadership aspect with him.
He was even nominated for the NBA Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award, which isn’t an award that most fans care about. But having good locker room chemistry means something. Just ask James Harden or Chris Paul.
No one will forget the tumultuous season Chicago just endured. Near-mutinies and being the mockery of the league is a tough memory to flush, and part of the reason for that experience was the youthful mindset of that team. Fans and players can fault head coach Jim Boylen all they want, and some with good reason, but the team needed to be tougher.
There won’t be any such issues with toughness. Each of the last two seasons, in the era of “load management,” the left-handed 30-year-old forward appeared in 81 games. It’s clear that taking games off isn’t something that resonates with Young.
The Bulls are getting a guy who wants to work hard and wants to play, and these sorts of things matter, especially on a young squad like the Bulls.
What's up @chicagobulls ? Gar, Jim, and Pax thanks for opportunity to help build culture and get us back on track. Let's work.
— THAD YOUNG (@yungsmoove21) July 1, 2019
It’ll be appealing to Bulls fans (and Boylen) to see a veteran ready to work hard and building a winning identity in the Windy City.