Horace Grant still sounds like a Bull, and he’s not pretending the path back to relevance is going to be quick.
The former Chicago forward, one of the most cherished voices from the franchise’s glory years, is urging patience with a roster that looks very different heading into this season. Chicago has new management, a new coach and a clear push toward the future, with rookie Caleb Wilson joining a group that already includes Matas Buzelis, Josh Giddey, Norman Powell and Nic Claxon.
That kind of reset tends to trigger big expectations from fans, but Grant is pumping the brakes before the season even starts, according to Kyle Odegard of Action Network. He pointed back to how long it took the Bulls’ championship core to fully come together during the first three-peat run from 1991 to 1993.
“To go back iconic like we did back in the day, it’s going to take some work,” Grant said. “It’s going to take some patience.
But with the core they have now, staying healthy, and then I still think they need a little bit more leadership in that locker room. I played with some great leaders in Chicago.
MJ, Pip, Bill Cartwright, you can throw John Paxson in there as well.
Once Michael Jordan was surrounded by Scottie Pippen, Bill Cartwright, John Paxson, Grant and others, the results spoke for themselves.
“The city is going to have to stay patient, because they are a very young crew,” Grant said. “I tell people this: when Scottie and I first got there in ‘87, we were getting our heads knocked in by the Detroit Pistons almost every year.
It took patience. It took trust in each other, and then the rest is history.”
The Bulls did flash some early chemistry last season, racing out to a 6-1 start. Whether that kind of cohesion shows up again in October is the question hanging over this group now.
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What makes the timing interesting is that the path never really lined up the way either side might have wanted. A league-wide hold-up tied to LeBron James pushed a wave of movement back until after Franciscos European contract exit clause had already passed, and he is now set to return to Europe for the 2026-27 season with Panathanaikos. For the Bulls, it leaves behind the familiar offseason question of whether a potentially useful guard was ever a realistic fit, or just one more name that flickered through the rumor mill before the window closed. [Read more 🡒]
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Josh Giddey is one of the players most affected by that shift, because the people who helped shape his place in Chicago are no longer running the show. The front office that committed to him long term has been replaced, and with a new coach and new voices in charge, his spot in the rotation and overall role now feels far less certain than it did earlier in the summer. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Development Plan Just Sent A Clear Message With This Hire
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The hire comes after Billy Donovan IIIs departure from the job, and it points to Chicago continuing to treat the G League seat as more than just an entry-level position. For a franchise trying to sharpen its developmental track, Pondexters background offers a different kind of leadership for young players looking to bridge the gap between the G League and the NBA, even if the next question is how quickly that vision takes shape in Windy City. [Read more 🡒]