Bulls land highly respected assistant coach Chris Fleming to help push rebuild

The search for a lead assistant coach didn’t last long.

A team source confirmed Wednesday that the Bulls have hired former Nets and Nuggets assistant coach Chris Fleming to sit alongside coach Jim Boylen, just days after the team officially gave Boylen a three-year contract.

Fleming helped turn the German national team into a threat during the 2017 European championships. He also was lauded for the work he did with the Nuggets (2015-16) and most recently the Nets.

Fleming is a good fit for the Bulls because his basic offensive principals match what Boylen prefers and he’ll add some innovative philosophies regarding passing and spacing.

Like Boylen, he has used multiple ballhandlers to initiate the offense, and he believes in getting the ball into the post. But Fleming’s offenses also have relied on quick ball movement, even out of the pick-and-roll.

Fleming also could help on defense, especially with establishing an identity. Boylen has leaned on a switching philosophy but would like to change concepts from game-to-game depending on matchups. That seemed to lead to confusing moments, especially for a young team, and far too many breakdowns.

While coaching the German team, Fleming said of his defense, “We have hard and structured rules.’’

That would be more than just embraced by the Bulls.

“We have to get better on that side of the ball,’’ Boylen said late in the year. “Toughness, physicality, [both] things we need to add to the defense. I like the habits we established in practice, but we have to bring that to the floor on a nightly basis.’’

Fleming’s addition will affect the other assistants’ roles, but exactly how hasn’t been determined.