Players Felt Skiles Quit on Team

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Players Felt Skiles Quit On Them

Contrary to a published report, a source said John Paxson never met with Ben Wallace and his agent, Arn Tellem, after the 1-5 road trip in November. And, according to the source, Wallace never told Paxson last week: ''[Scott Skiles] quit on us, so we've quit on him.''

That's not to say Wallace and ''many'' other players didn't deliver that message as best they could through other channels.

''They felt Scott had quit on them and didn't believe in them as players,'' the source said. ''Players know when that's the case.'' -- Chicago Sun-Times

Related News ...

# Scottie Pippen could return as an assistant coach, since he and Skiles didn't get along, and John Bach could be brought back for consulting work, since his name has come up for jobs with other teams. -- Chicago Tribune

# Unless Jim Boylan and general manager John Paxson have a nasty clash in basketball philosophy when they meet today, Boylan will be chosen to lead the Bulls for the rest of the season. Boylan is expected to stay behind while assistant Pete Myers handles the team in San Antonio. -- Arlington Heights Daily Herald

# Couldn't the dismissal of Scott Skiles have waited a few days? Couldn't it have been done last week, when general manager John Paxson already had decided a change was necessary? Did it have to happen at 9:45 a.m. on Christmas Eve, when Paxson and chairman Jerry Reinsdorf told Skiles before practice?

This gives new meaning to Ebenezer Scrooge, ``Bah Humbug!'' the Grinch and all those things we thought were fictional about Christmas -- until Team Reinsdorf proved again that nothing is sacred when trying miserably to chase the ghost of the Jordan dynasty. -- Chicago Sun-Times</div>

 

Ya know, at first I was a little tweaked about the timing of the firing, but after giving it some thought, I'm thinking it's less Scrooge and just the way it worked out.

The team plays San Antonio today, day after Christmas. I supposed Paxson could have waited until today, but wouldn't it be more of a shock to the players and Boylan or Myers to lose the head coach and have to figure out how to carry on without him on the same day as a game against a really tough opponent? This way, the team had a couple of days to let the firing sink in and to get ready for the Spurs.

For Skiles, it may well be a relief and it'd be considered a Christmas "gift" that it was timed the way it was.

For the players, Merry Christmas! The ball and chain battleaxe drill sergeant put-you-in-the-doghouse-for-no-apparent-reason guy is gone.

What I'd watch for tonight is how much Wallace plays, and whether he plays with a renewed energy and fire.