John Paxson turns an error into a big hit

Discussion in 'Chicago Bulls' started by truebluefan, Mar 8, 2011.

  1. truebluefan

    truebluefan Administrator Staff Member Administrator

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    John Paxson played on the Bulls’ first three championship teams and was an assistant coach for the 1995-96 champions who won an NBA-record 72 regular-season games.

    From 2003 to 2009, Paxson served as the Bulls’ general manager, and his drafting of small forward Luol Deng, center Joakim Noah and point guard Derrick Rose — the NBA’s No. 1 pick in 2008 — is providing the foundation of the Bulls’ newest title-contending team.

    But if drafting these players was Paxson’s best decision as general manager, his physical assault against former coach Vinny Del Negro, whom he later fired, was his worst.

    “It never should have happened, and I never should have done it,” Paxson said Monday. “It was a heat-of-the-moment thing, and I was very frustrated with the way we were playing.

    “What also disappointed me is that [Del Negro] never owned up to making a mistake. That says more about him than it does me. I was trying to protect my player [Noah, who was coming back from injuries], I did it in the wrong way and I’m not proud of that.”

    But if choking and jabbing Del Negro was the price Paxson had to pay to hire rookie coach Tom Thibodeau, then the Bulls appear better for the “mistake.”

    Read more: http://www.suntimes.com/sports/bask...ohn-paxson-turns-an-error-into-a-big-hit.html
     
  2. such sweet thunder

    such sweet thunder Member Staff Member Moderator

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    Latrell Sprewell got suspended for a year and vilified. John Paxson gets a puff piece written about the incident. You have to wonder: If John Paxson was black would he still have a job? Maybe it's just a product of their different roles, general manager as opposed to player.
     
  3. such sweet thunder

    such sweet thunder Member Staff Member Moderator

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    Look at this sentence. Lacy puts mistake in quotation marks? Your GM fucking chocked your coach. How is that okay under any scenario?
     
  4. MikeDC

    MikeDC Member

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    WTF. It's almost inconceivable to me that this article made it to press.

    1. Why on earth would Paxson not only revisit this incredibly embarrassing incident, but then take the further step of launching into criticism of Del Negro again? "I'm really sorry, but he's a stinky doo-doo head" is pitiful coming from a grown man. Just keep your fucking mouth shut. On a personal level, it makes Paxson look like the kind of idiot knucklehead he would, I dunno, run down to the locker room and try to choke his coach.

    2. Still feeling really good about the Bulls sweeping the Heat... is this really what the Bulls organization wants its fans to turn their attention to? On a professional level, this isn't exactly where you want to go either.

    3. And let's not forget the idiocy of the the Sun Times and Lacy Banks (wasn't he retired? Guess he mis-calculated how many fifths of peach schnapps his 401k would cover). You really want to run with this story and dredging this up right now? OK, fine... it's a hit piece. Oh wait, it's not, because it's somehow turned into a glowing endorsement in which we're expected to believe the "big hit" success that followed somehow required the GM to engage in tortuous behavior against his coach.

    Yuck. I need a shower.
     
    Last edited: Mar 8, 2011
  5. transplant

    transplant Global Moderator Staff Member Global Moderator

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    It's clear that Paxson REALLY wanted to get this
    out there.

    My question to Paxson is "Why?"

    God, I hate stupid.
     
  6. Denny Crane

    Denny Crane It's not even loaded! Staff Member Administrator

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  7. such sweet thunder

    such sweet thunder Member Staff Member Moderator

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    Yeah, that's craziest part about this article. Lacy wasn't just short on ideas with a deadline looming. Paxson agreed to an interview about the incident.
     
  8. kukoc4ever

    kukoc4ever Let's win a ring! Staff Member Moderator

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    Ah Paxson. Its clear why you spend most of your time hiding from the media. Its a good idea. Continue doing that.

    Just shut up and let Gar do his thing. Sit in your box and pump your fists.

    Vinny wasn't a great coach. Then again, he NEVER COACHED BEFORE and you hired him. Jeez.
     
  9. JayJohnstone

    JayJohnstone Active Member

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    lol...Nice work, Pax. This says more about you than it does me.
     
  10. JayJohnstone

    JayJohnstone Active Member

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    This is classic Bulls management. No victory is too sweet, no team too legendary that the team success can't be used by mgmt to settle past scores and be used in self promotion.

    When did Paxson turn into Krause? Does Reinsdorf have some magic potion?
     
  11. Good Hope

    Good Hope Active Member

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    When I read that...my simple thought was "why?"

    And ultimately, I agree that when Sprewell did that, he got hammered, but when Pax does it, it's a blessing in disguise?

    Nope, it's not. Like K4E says, Gar was brought in to be the public face. He's ugly, but he's better at keeping the focus on basketball. Let him do it, and you stay in your role.

    Wasn't there some hint of a story that Vinny got hired at LA as a favor to Reinsdorf by Sterling, to keep Vinny from going all legal on John? I think there might be some truth to it, I'm afraid.

    Though, if Vinny was willing to let that payoff be enough, then why would Pax bring it up again, and justify himself? Hard to understand.
     
  12. such sweet thunder

    such sweet thunder Member Staff Member Moderator

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    I love me some conspiracy theories (I really do) but I'm not buying that one. I do think, though, that Vinny's decision to not to legally pursue the organization (at least as far as we know) may have induced Sterling to hire him. The Clippers went after Bill Fitch and Mike Dunleavy for wages that were due to them after they were fired. VDN seems to see the big picture pretty well -- if you bend over and give up what is rightfully yours then there's a reasonably good chance you'll find a coaching position with another organization. Otherwise, good luck.
     
  13. Denny Crane

    Denny Crane It's not even loaded! Staff Member Administrator

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    More like he turned a big hit into an error?
     
  14. bullshooter

    bullshooter Active Member

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    If Paxson was black, he'd be executive of the year. However, if Vinny was black, Jesse Jackson would have let us know how this was another example of the slave master mentality. As far as Sprewell goes, did you see the marks on Carleisimo? There was nothing like that on Vinny and I really think the "scuffle" was like a typical nba fight, a lot of barking and a push or two.
     
  15. JayJohnstone

    JayJohnstone Active Member

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  16. such sweet thunder

    such sweet thunder Member Staff Member Moderator

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    You're probably right that it's more of a position thing than a race thing, but there parallels between the two situations are hard to ignore.
     
  17. bullshooter

    bullshooter Active Member

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    Elgin Baylor gets to the playoffs twice in 20+ years and he gets it the second time? It's not a high bar. Throttling a guy you told not to play your best young big too many minutes would probably get it.
     
  18. MikeDC

    MikeDC Member

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    Heh, let's get into a race debate, that'll be even more productive than hiring an incompetent coach and then trying to strangle him! :)
     
  19. JayJohnstone

    JayJohnstone Active Member

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    Fine, MikeDC. No more opinon on this. But let's at least agree on the facts.

    Baylor got it once like a lot of poor to mediocre GMs.
     
  20. JayJohnstone

    JayJohnstone Active Member

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    http://www.suntimes.com/sports/bask...te-house-wanted-thibodeau-coaching-bulls.html
    Did they really need input to take Rose? And cared about Del Negro's opinion? YIKESSSS!!!

    It shouldn't be the 1.7% miracle....it should be the 1 in a millon miracle.

    I'm glad he likes the team. My guess is that Reinsdorf will claim 4 more championships will validate Krause's vision.
     

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