Basketball
A new era of Chicago Bulls basketball started at 12:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday.
Bryson Graham officially sat down to be introduced as the organization’s new head of basketball operations. He joined President Michael Reinsdorf at the podium and fielded a long list of questions from both local and national media. It was his first of many tests, and the consensus seems to be that the 39-year-old aced it.
Let’s go through some of his most important quotes from the 35-minute introduction, as well as what they could tell us about the organization’s plans moving forward.
Bryson Graham’s Top Quotes
“This is unbelievable. I’m going to always be transparent and just be myself. That’s all I know how to be. And this is unreal. When Michael called and told me I got the job, I’m not afraid to say this, I started crying. I broke down, man.”
From the jump, Bryson Graham’s relatability jumped out. The previous regime could sound both robotic and standoffish at times. It’s a big reason why Bulls fans eventually became so put-off.
Graham didn’t come off like he found himself to be any better than the media members in the room or those watching at home. He sprinkled in personal touches throughout the entire presser, making it feel far more like a conversation than an interview. The Bulls wanted a better communicator, and this proved to be an immediate strength for Graham.
“There is no bad idea. I want to hear from everyone in the room. I’ve always been someone who for better or for worse am going to share my opinion … I want an open, collaborative and very communicative organization. It doesn’t matter about the position. Everyone in this room can have something to add to the ultimate decision or making the right direction.”
“I want to obviously bolster our staff. I want to add to our strategy space, I want to add to our personnel space. I think that’s necessary.”
“If I’m the smartest person in the room, we’re going to fail.”
If Bryson Graham made anything clear on Day 1, it was that the Chicago Bulls will no longer act like an exclusive club. They have been criticized repeatedly in the past for having a small front office with an outdated hierarchy. Today’s best teams – from OKC to Boston – each run a far more collaborative front office that features a slew of people in secondary and tertiary roles. It sure sounds like Graham plans to follow a similar structure.
Might some criticize Graham for saying he shouldn’t be the smartest man in the room? Sure, but it speaks to the kind of leader he is and wants to be. The best executives surround themselves with the right people and delegate. If you’re the franchise that is constantly having talent poached, you’re obviously doing something right.
“It’s going to take time. I think the roster we’re in the developmental stage right now. I think everyone in here knows we are not where we want to be … We just want to be smart and we want to be also creative and opportunistic, right? But we’re obviously going to take our time. This is not going to be something that is rushed. This is the beginning stages. This draft is going to be the first real layer to this foundation going forward.”
“Most rebuild situations is when you don’t have star-caliber players. So right now, not to say that we don’t have anyone on this roster that can get there, but until we continue to draft well, add to this mix, and add more overall talent and team identity, we are in the rebuilding phase.”
The Chicago Bulls have refused to use the word “rebuild” in the past. Bryson Graham officially changed that narrative on Wednesday. He didn’t beat around the bush and made it very clear that this is an organization that is starting fresh. In the process, he also made evident that a quick fix isn’t part of the game plan. The Bulls will be building through the draft and working hard to develop young talent.
Did Gaham talk about building for sustainable competitiveness? Yes, but he didn’t pretend like he expects the Bulls to be competitive as soon as next season. All things considered, it was a dose of refreshing transparency. He didn’t treat the fans like they were dumb and recognized exactly where the team stands when compared to the rest of the league.
“I don’t want to, in respect to the guys, I don’t want to answer something like that. There are only a few players in the NBA that are untouchable, let’s be honest. Even then, you can get them. So that’s just the nature of the beast. You’re going to listen on every player, and I’m not trying to strike fear in any of the guys on this roster. But that’s just the nature of the business. I’m not going to sit here and say anyone on this roster is untouchable, but that doesn’t mean we’re trading guys. We’re going to come in and look at this thing holistically and proceed.
In arguably his most brutally honest moment of the day, Bryson Graham admitted that everyone on the Bulls’ current roster is on the table. He even referred to this upcoming draft as the “first layer” in building the foundation for the Bulls. Again, does this mean he will move on from several of the team’s current players? No, but he was extremely realistic about the team-building process. The Bulls aren’t good enough to turn down any conversation.
Speaking of which, this sure provides some insight into how he might handle roster conversations in the future. Whereas Arturas Karnisovas kept things close to the vest and often overvalued his talent, Graham sounds like someone who is always willing to listen and shake things up when needed. Obviously, actions will speak louder than words, but it was another stark philosophical difference from the previous regime.
“To be honest, with my just getting to Chicago, I have not started a search, have not put a list together of candidates or anything of that nature. Probably don’t plan on doing that for another week or so.”
“You just want the most talented person you believe in … let’s find the most competent and most talented people, and that can be a coach that you may not even heard of. And I might get killed for it. But if I believe in him, I’m going to hire him.”
The next big order of business for the Chicago Bulls will be finding their new head coach. Bryson Graham admitted that he hasn’t done much to start that search, as he’s still getting settled in his new role. However, the process will begin soon, and he stressed the importance of finding a developmental leader who prioritizes both sides of the ball. He sounded like someone who cares a lot about not being a one-dimensional team, and he specifically stressed the importance of defense when trying to grow a young group.
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