We have a few Thibs threads, how about a Paxson one? https://www.todaysfastbreak.com/nba-east/central/the-nine-lives-of-john-paxson-bulls/ ... My intention isn’t to blast John Paxson and Gar Forman. On the whole, they’re probably better than most front offices. But over the course of a good chunk of time in a mostly dreadful conference, they’ve failed to put together a championship roster and squandered many opportunities to hit home runs beyond the Butler pick. Their constant meddling with the coaching staff sometimes begs the question, “Why doesn’t Pax just pick up a clipboard and do it himself?” Certainly both Thibodeau and the front office were hostages to Rose’s health. The grim reality is that the Bulls, and specifically Thibodeau’s Bulls teams, were the victim of outsized expectations. Their fans may not want to hear it, but there was never a title window. Even in a garbage conference, they never lost a playoff series to an inferior roster. And now they’ll likely be left with a core that includes Rose, Butler and Mirotic. They’ll get another year out of an over-the-hill Gasol and a damaged and probably untradable Noah. (And don’t forget Hinrich’s player option!) In the end, it just seems like the view of the trophy is getting more distant as years go by. 12 years. Eight lottery picks. And this is what you’re left with, Bulls fans. You tell me if this is someone who deserves an apparent lifetime appointment.
A wonderful bit from the article, and spot on: Yet when times got tough during the season, it was Thibodeau who endured the endless scrutiny, despite inheriting a radically changed and ultimately fatally flawed roster while also having to deal with the backseat driving of a needling front office. It didn’t take long to grow tired of the Chicago Media’s endless hand-wringing. The Bulls’ beat writers are generally decent, specifically the Tribune’s very professional K.C. Johnson. But other local columnists and talk radio hosts seem to carry a lot of water for the Bulls’ front office. And this has been a constant theme. It doesn’t really matter what the story is. “Derrick Rose ignoring medical advice during his rehab.” “Derrick Rose‘s failure to recruit player X, (whether it’s LeBron or Carmelo, etc).” “Thibodeau playing Noah up to his arbitrary and management-imposed minutes limit.” These are storylines that got a ton of play in Chicago, and the same goes for scrutiny of Thibs’s coaching style. While the front office might not be able to land a big free agent, they are absolutely brilliant when it comes to controlling narratives that surround the team.
This is really spot on. The disconnect between local media and national / out of town media is vast. Media management is a huge part of running a modern professional sports franchise. The Bulls do a good job of crafting and controlling narratives for the local media. They have little sway though over the national guys and out-of-towners, which explains the dichotomy.
Paxson has been cashing checks for 13 years. After his first dismal failure, he installed a Gar firewall.
