You just get the feeling that its over. Unlike last year when we were losing early on, at least we seemed like a decent team then.</p> This team is just in shambles.</p> There is no solid rotation. Our offense has horrible spacing, is overly simple, and isn't good.</p> Skiles plays the three point guard lineup too much.</p> Skiles doesn't recognize the difference between a powerforward and a center, and doesn't recognize the importance to have a center on the floor at all times, which imo is hurting our defense/rebounding when we're playing 2 powerforwards.</p> Hopefully he is outta town soon, so Carlisle can come in and clean up this mess.</p>
When will Ben Gordon play like the best player in the NBA that everyone and their grandmother knows?</p>
I don't think he should/will be fired. It's not his fault Deng got injured and Hinrich and Gordon can't shoot. The best coach in the world can't make a team 20 points better. Sure, Skiles is partly at fault for the state of the team (it's no longer a 'rough start' in my opinion), but he's been dealt a very poor hand... </p> He has an overpaid center who plays with effort half the time and is undersized all the time. 5 above average offensive players, 3 of whom are slumping big time. 1 raw rookie and 2 very inconsistent 2nd year players who need playing time to develop.</p> Damn, this team's future doesn't seem very bright right now. Good defense, horrible offense, and no help on the horizon.</p>
RW, I couldn't watch the game last night, but it certainly didn't seem like they played good D. For as much (deserved) shit as Wallace has been getting, he's showed up on the circus trip, at least in the numbers. He still can't guard anyone worth a damn, but I don't think, aside from mythologizing him as a Shaq defender (especially when Shaq is even older and more broke down than he is), he was ever that great at it.</p> But the real killers? Ben Gordon 2-14. Thabo 3-11. Hinrich shot the ball fine, but still turned the ball over in ridiculous fashion and played poor defense.</p> And let's not forget our boy Tyrus Thomas, with the most Corey Benjaminesqe statline of the night. 10 minutes with no points, rebounds or blocks. Or anything positive. Just 4 fouls and 2 TOs. Think his head hasn't been messed with? It might be a fragile immature head, but it's clearly F'ed up.</p>
I realize it's emotionally gratifying to call for the coach's head, and that it's easier to fire a coach than a GM or trade a bunch of players, but when I look at the Bulls, I think they're fundamentally not Skiles' fault. The worst I can say at this point is that it looks quite possible the players hate him and have just quit on him. If that's the case, the number of NBA teams composed of such players that go on to have success is... zero. It doesn't happen. If they're going to be gutless for Skiles, they'll be gutless for the next guy when push comes to shove.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MikeDC)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> but when I look at the Bulls, I think they're fundamentally not Skiles' fault.</p> </div></p> </p> I agree. The main problem, IMO, is the GM.</p> But, a GM usually gets 2 coaches, at least. He's the first.</p> Also, I do think that having Skiles as the coach constrains who the Bulls can have on the roster. He is a good basketball coach though. But, being a NBA Head Coach is more than being a good basketball coach.</p> Skiles isn't the #1 problem, but he's the easiest to fire. The right move is to consolidate trade for a superstar, if possible and get the best possible supporting cast around them. The GM has to really, really want to do this.... b/c its hard enough to pull this off if you are 100% committed.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (kukoc4ever)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> I agree. The main problem, IMO, is the GM.</p> But, a GM usually gets 2 coaches, at least. He's the first.</p> Also, I do think that having Skiles as the coach constrains who the Bulls can have on the roster. He is a good basketball coach though. But, being a NBA Head Coach is more than being a good basketball coach.</p> Skiles isn't the #1 problem, but he's the easiest to fire. The right move is to consolidate trade for a superstar, if possible and get the best possible supporting cast around them. The GM has to really, really want to do this.... b/c its hard enough to pull this off if you are 100% committed.</p> </div></p> </p> I have to agree, though I still think the Bulls will pull out of this. I don't think any of us are giving enough due to the disaster that was the decision not to resign Gordon and Deng. It's seems to have killed whatever mojo this team had.</p>
A couple of things seem obvious.</p> First, Pax's ability to pick winners seems limited to that one year's draft (Gordon, Deng, Duhon), and only Nocioni has been "good" among his signees (remember Pip?). Letting Gordon and Deng go for near nothing or cap space and draft picks is a HUGE gamble.</p> Second, it's easier to fire the coach than to fire all the players. Though Pax has fired all the players one time (remember all those NBDLers we had for a whole season?)</p> </p> </p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (such sweet thunder)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> I have to agree, though I still think the Bulls will pull out of this. I don't think any of us are giving enough due to the disaster that was the decision not to resign Gordon and Deng. It's seems to have killed whatever mojo this team had.</p> </div></p> I agree. At least as a fan, that and the Kobe trade were some serious buzzkills. The "no luxury tax- ever!" statement and the the misinformation campaign against Luol Deng regarding his contract (I don't see any other sensible interpretation at this point) really gets my goat. Somehow the latter more than the former. One of Paxson's chief selling points has always supposedly been that he's such a "straight shooter", but a lot of fairly underhanded shit, especially as it relates to player finance, has gone down on his watch.</p> </p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (kukoc4ever)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MikeDC)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> but when I look at the Bulls, I think they're fundamentally not Skiles' fault.</p> </div>I agree. The main problem, IMO, is the GM.</p> But, a GM usually gets 2 coaches, at least. He's the first.</p> Also, I do think that having Skiles as the coach constrains who the Bulls can have on the roster. He is a good basketball coach though. But, being a NBA Head Coach is more than being a good basketball coach.</p> Skiles isn't the #1 problem, but he's the easiest to fire. The right move is to consolidate trade for a superstar, if possible and get the best possible supporting cast around them. The GM has to really, really want to do this.... b/c its hard enough to pull this off if you are 100% committed.</div></p> This is probably true, although I can't think of a coach/GM in the league that are more tied together than these two. I can't say with any confidence at all that Skiles constrains the players they go after or keep things any more or less than Paxson does. At most, my impression is that Paxson wanted Tyrus and Skiles wanted Aldridge, and if anything, Skiles probably has a right to think Pax was smoking some serious crack during the 06 draft. He's looking a lot closer to right if there was truly much disagreement.</p> So from that perspective, it'd be pretty hard to see firing Skiles as much more than an ass-covering maneuver.</p> </p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MikeDC)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> can't say with any confidence at all that Skiles constrains the players they go after or keep things any more or less than Paxson does. At most, my impression is that Paxson wanted Tyrus and Skiles wanted Aldridge, and if anything, Skiles probably has a right to think Pax was smoking some serious crack during the 06 draft. He's looking a lot closer to right if there was truly much disagreement.</p> </div></p> ----</p> </p> True, and I did think of the '06 draft as a philosophical departure for Paxson, realizing that the team needs length and athleticism, and looking at jib a little less. I'm not sure who Skiles wanted in that draft. I was excited about TT since it represented a needed philosophical shift and I think, and still think, he'll be a good NBA basketball player. I preferred Brewer over Thabo, but I was happy to see Paxson take a damn risk and he seemed like the body type that we needed. So did Brewer, but whatever.<o></o></p> So, another benefit to getting rid of Skiles that is that perhaps we can get a coach who will be HAPPY to develop young, raw big men like Tyrus Thomas. It just doesn't seem to be something Skiles is really interested in. He went along with working with Curry and Chandler in his contract year, and once he signed his deal he rode Chandler out of town and is seemingly bashing TT in the press when he speaks from the heart.<o></o></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> I think goal #1 when Paxson took over was to change the culture of the org, and Skiles was a tool to do that. But, he has known negatives. Now Paxson is running into them.<o></o></p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Real)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> Funny how a month changes things. He was many pundits and fans pick for Coach of the year.</p> </div></p> Early ripe, early rotten. As Johnny Redd Kerr would quote of Stinky Frier.</p> </p> </p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MikeDC)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (kukoc4ever)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MikeDC)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> but when I look at the Bulls, I think they're fundamentally not Skiles' fault.</p> </div>I agree. The main problem, IMO, is the GM.</p> But, a GM usually gets 2 coaches, at least. He's the first.</p> Also, I do think that having Skiles as the coach constrains who the Bulls can have on the roster. He is a good basketball coach though. But, being a NBA Head Coach is more than being a good basketball coach.</p> Skiles isn't the #1 problem, but he's the easiest to fire. The right move is to consolidate trade for a superstar, if possible and get the best possible supporting cast around them. The GM has to really, really want to do this.... b/c its hard enough to pull this off if you are 100% committed.</div></p> This is probably true, although I can't think of a coach/GM in the league that are more tied together than these two. I can't say with any confidence at all that Skiles constrains the players they go after or keep things any more or less than Paxson does. At most, my impression is that Paxson wanted Tyrus and Skiles wanted Aldridge, and if anything, Skiles probably has a right to think Pax was smoking some serious crack during the 06 draft. He's looking a lot closer to right if there was truly much disagreement.</p> So from that perspective, it'd be pretty hard to see firing Skiles as much more than an ass-covering maneuver.</p> </p> </div></p> I am beginning to have my doubts. Paxson clearly gave Skiles the green light to do whatever he felt in regards to Curry, Chandler, and most of all Crawford. But those weren't his guys, and they're all gone now. I have questions whether Thabo would be playing as many minutes as he is if there wasn't some mandate from Paxson. Gardner is the better player right now, though that probably will change in the future. Is Paxson pushing some of the buttons? Also, see Skiles' unconvincing apology about the Thomas comments. Yeah, there may be trouble in paradise.</p> </p>
Trouble in paradise is right if that's the case, but what does that come down to? Paxson being so in love with his guys that he'll throw out the judgements of the coach he trusted when he (Pax) didn't have such a vested interest?</p> Where does that get us in the long run? Not anywhere good I don't think. Meh.</p>
This team will get nowhere. They were lucky last season.</p> Fire the GM and the coach, and trade Gordon and Deng.</p>
Something that urprises me is that the Bulls, given their 'No luxury tax, ever!' stance, would seriously entertain trading for Kobe at all. </p> If it takes you until you're sitting there negotiating the price on a Caddy to figure out you've only got the budget for a Chevy then you've made a serious error in judgement.</p>
Just consider that when pining for change just for the sake of change. Even if that's SOP in the NBA, it very rarely seems successful. For the entirety of his tenure here, most folks have argued this team was "more than the sum of its parts". Well, isn't that as much on coaching as the current mess? I'm not arguing Skiles is without flaw, or that he's the right coach in the long run, but I neither see anyone obviously better nor have a lot of confidence in Paxson (who hasn't exactly set the world on fire with his decision-making the last couple of years) to pick the right guy. It's quite possible that if we fire him the team simply becomes "equal to the sum of its parts" and fairly mediocre.</p>
