New Bulls coach Jim Boylen reminds his players, ‘this is not a negotiation’

Whether Jim Boylen has the rest of this season as new Bulls head coach, into next season, or not even a few weeks left, what was reiterated on Monday is he will continue doing things one way.

His way.

“We did not splinter after the Boston game,’’ Boylen said to reporters after the morning shootaround. “That wasn’t an issue with splintering. There was an issue with how we’re going to go about things with practice, what I value, and that they have to understand that this is not a negotiation. It’s not my style, and that’s new for them. That’s OK. So we’re just going to win the next play, try and be productive in the next practice, and it’s as simple as that. I hate to make it that simple, but that’s what it is.’’

It hasn’t been simple, however.

After the franchise-worst 56-point loss to the Celtics Saturday night, Boylen questioned player toughness and leadership, as well as calling for a Sunday practice in the wake of back-to-back games, and a Monday night game.

There were several players so upset with all that was transpiring that there was talk about a team-wide no-show for the practice. Veterans, however, stepped in and instead called for a players-only meeting first, followed by coaches and front office members joining in.

So in Monday’s presser, when one reporter was asking Boylen about the possible mutiny and said “they’’ – referring to the Bulls players – that’s when Boylen of course doubled-down to make sure everyone knows who is in charge.

“That’s not true,’’ Boylen said. “That is not true that ‘they’ didn’t want to have practice. That is not true. They means everybody. That is not true. I don’t like that narrative, I don’t want that out there. It’s not true. The truth is we had a couple of guys that thought a Sunday practice was excessive after the week we had, and they have to trust me that if I bring them in here to practice I’m going to manage their legs and manage what we’re going to do. They didn’t understand that, so I explained to them, ‘You have to trust me that I’m going to do what’s best for this team.’

“What was best for this team was coming in, being together and growing. Some guys felt that was excessive. We cleared that up and we’re moving on. Please don’t say they, because that’s not how it was. Everybody is allowed to make a mistake, everybody is allowed to get sideways a little bit. This is an emotional roller coaster at this level, so new coach, tough week, big win, got our butt kicked … you guys know what I’m talking about. So everybody is human, everybody has a reason to do what we do, and a lot of times, we’ve all done it where we look back and say, ‘I wish I would have done that differently. We could have handled it differently.’ ‘’

As far as players like Zach LaVine saying they didn’t like toughness questioned, well, apologies weren’t exactly flowing for that comment, either.

“My job, I tell them this and you guys have heard me say this, is to try and push our guys to a place they can’t take themselves,’’ Boylen said. “That’s pushing them outside their comfort zone. That’s what my job is, that’s what the Reinsdorfs are paying me for. I take that very seriously, so I explained that to them.

“Everybody wants it comfortable, everybody wants it safe. Well I don’t think you become great in that, so it’s going to be a little raw for a while, it’s going to be a little rough for a while, and then there’s a point where it gets not as rough, but then all of a sudden it’s gotta be rough again. That’s the only way I know. That’s the way it is in the business. The places I’ve been that have been successful, that’s the way it is.’’