I guess there's the answer to my question from yesterday http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/chi-11-bulls-chicagodec11,0,6789627.story
Follow up: I like what Noah had to say. I think Tyrus' not saying anything is sort of ominous. -------------- I've been trying to figure out what bugs me and I think I've got it. VDN, like the other Bulls coaches and staff before him, are treating commitment as if it’s something that can be learned like riding a bike. But commitment is a matter of trust and respect, not a matter of incentives or learning. What to do say to someone whose boyfriend or girlfriend shows no commitment to their relationship? Do you tell them they just need to set the right incentives? Like… honey, if you bone the mailman again, I’m not taking you out to dinner Friday night? That’s pretty obviously messed up and never going to work. I’ve never seen nor heard of a successful relationship where one side just taught the other to take things seriously and value the relationship. I’ve occasionally seen relationships where one side became more committed after gaining trust in the other, but that’s a pretty different dynamic. Trust doesn’t exactly come through carrot and stick lineup changes. You might be able to gain a guy’s confidence, loyalty and effort with the right appeals to him. Get him to “buy in” to the program. That’s an entirely different thing than teaching lessons. Should it be necessary with guys making millions of dollars? No, but clearly it is. That’s why guys like Phil Jackson and apparently Mike D’Antoni, and to a lesser extent other guys with the right leadership (KG might qualify) are great coaches and leaders. They don’t teach lessons, they gain trust. Tyrus, in all my time watching him… and Noah as well… have not struck me as “stupid” fellows. When they’re on their game, I’ve seen them make very smart plays repeatedly. The problem doesn’t have anything to do with teaching them lessons. The problem is that Tyrus is from the accounts I’ve read a very moody, cynical and mistrustful guy who always expects the worst and responds accordingly. Noah possibly has a learning disability. Or is simply a spoiled rich kid who never had to work this hard. Or both. But in any case, that, and not pure knowledge or ability is their problem. Whether they can get over it is another question. Should VDN be responsible for that? It’s not a matter of responsibility. It’s a matter of success. He’s the head coach. It’s incumbent on him to do anything and everything in his power to make the team better. And if that means figuring out the right set of sweet nothings and public thorns to motivate guys who shouldn’t require a kick in the pants but still do, then that’s what he has to do. Sometimes life ain’t fair.
I think the right answer is you tell them to find a new boyfriend/girlfriend. Commitment comes from within. Unless VDN is treating Noah and TT like shit behind the scenes, it's on TT and Noah, not VDN. Does anybody think this is the case? At the very least, if TT and Noah want to be professional ballers, they need to act in a professional manner, which is all VDN is asking. I'd also take a different stance on Noah talking and TT not talking. Noah has been talking since day one, and typically saying the right things. However, his performance is seemingly getting worse, or at least not getting better. He needs to talk less and do more. Maybe TT gets this and will respond by improving his performance at practice and ultimatley on the floor, which is the only place it really matters. I honestly don't care what either of them says, it's what they do that shows whether they get it or not.
And I wouldn't put Mike D'Antoni in the same category as Phil Jackson yet, or really give Phil Jackson that much credit. Both have had exceptional players, but D'Antoni hasn't really won anything yet(lets see where the Knicks end up this year, first) , and Phil Jackson has had some failures, too, where trust became an issue like the 2004 Championship and the eventual breakup of Shaq and Kobe. Shaq and Kobe should have been every bit as dominant as Pippen and Jordan, but they came up way short. So even the great ones are not immune to this problem, and TT and Noah have a long way to go to even start, let alone compete for championships.
That wouldn't seem to be an issue with Tyrus and Noah, who are both on their rookie deals for quite a while longer
No, I wasn't saying VDN is to blame, but it's still to his benefit if he can somehow hold guys' hands and get them to buy in. Again... he shouldn't have to do that, but unless a trade is immenent, you still have to make the effort. Actually I hadn't heard Noah say much of anything this year, which I thought was pretty odd. And his comment here was exactly what you're asking for, "Communication is good, but actions speak louder than words. I have learned you don't control how much playing time you get, you can only control what you do on the court. You can't be in a bad mood or frustrated before you even step on the court.". Thomas... historically when he gets quiet is when he shuts down.
Mike, as per your analysis, I think we have to begin to grapple with the fact that there might be a very easy explanation for Thomas and Noah's struggles. They're bad. They're not going to get better. The end. We can still hold out hope, but if the skills aren't there, and they're not, changes in attitude aren't going to help.
Noah played significantly better last year. I mean, by the end of last year, was there any real question he was going to be our starting center for quite a while? He wasn't spectacular or anything, but he was quite solid for a rookie big man. Tyrus... I'm more inclined to agree with that, though I've seen stretches of solid play from him (it's just that they're usually 1 or 2 game stretches... which isn't much of a stretch).
