<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (pegs @ Jun 9 2008, 10:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Chutney @ Jun 9 2008, 10:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I believe the politically correct pronunciation is Vinny Del African-American.</div> I was waitin for something like this </div> I controlled myself at work, but I couldn't resist when I came home after class. Just too tempting.
Damn, I'm glad Reinsdorf gave Dan Tony such a hard time about D. And has brought up the Bulls success with Phil Jackson as a reason to hire a less experienced guy. Memo to JR: PJ won coach of the year in the CBA and was an assistant coach on the team he took over. IMHO, I guess a blank slate better than Collins, but geez.....this is the result of the massive search....color me very, very underwhelmed.
Something about this coaching search makes me think that thought process for the draft 2 years ago was something like: Thomas? Aldridge? Aldridge Roy? Ammo? Thomas? Aldridge? Wait, I can get a nice prospect like the Russian guy on the Blazers, Thomas it is!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (JayJohnstone @ Jun 10 2008, 10:03 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Something about this coaching search makes me think that thought process for the draft 2 years ago was something like: Thomas? Aldridge? Aldridge Roy? Ammo? Thomas? Aldridge? Wait, I can get a nice prospect like the Russian guy on the Blazers, Thomas it is!</div> I dunno if he put that much thought into it. I'm underwhelmed too. I think everyone is. I mean, at best I see mildly disappointed folks say give him a chance. Well sure, it's not VD's fault we got him. As coach of the Bulls, I hope he does well. But I don't expect him too based on the magnitude of the job he looks to have. Which is really the whole point.
I'm pretty sure we signed Del Negro because he knows how to run D'Antoni's system (he scouted players that would be able to work in D'Antoni's system), but has more of a defensive edge to him. Listening to Gordon on the radio yesterday, he seemed really disappointed that we didn't get D'Antoni, so I am sure this was to appease the players, although Thibo or Avery would be better imo.
http://sportstwo.com/NBA/Story/NBA/2413327 Bulls to introduce Del Negro on Wednesday Tuesday, June 10, 2008 11:35 AM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Vinny Del Negro will be announced as the new coach of the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. The Bulls have scheduled a news conference for 3 p.m. EDT to introduce Del Negro, who spent this past season as the assistant general manager of the Phoenix Suns. The Bulls have not disclosed details regarding Del Negro's contract. But the Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday on its web site that the sides have agreed to a two-year deal worth $2 million annually. According to the newspaper, the contract also includes a team option for a third season. Del Negro's hire comes on the heels of Friday's announcement that Doug Collins would not be returning for a second coaching stint with the Bulls. Collins coached the Bulls from 1986-89. He was fired in a controversial move by Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf despite taking the team to the Eastern Conference finals in his last season. Collins, who currently serves as broadcaster for TNT, also has coached Detroit and Washington in his career. He owns a 332-287 record, including a 15-23 playoff mark. On the other hand, Del Negro, 41, has no previous coaching experience but apparently impressed Bulls GM John Paxson and Reinsdorf enough during interviews last week to edge out former Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Dwane Casey and Sacramento Kings assistant Chuck Person. Del Negro will inherit a Chicago team that was expected to contend in the Eastern Conference this past season but was a major disappointment, going 33-49 en route to missing the playoffs. The Bulls' tumultuous season included the firing of coach Scott Skiles in December. Interim coach Jim Boylan was let go at the conclusion of the campaign. One positive is that the Bulls own the first pick in the June 26 draft. That selection is expected to be either Memphis point guard Derrick Rose or Kansas State forward Michael Beasley.
Apparently, Cartwright may be coming back as assistant coach. That'd make him like a bench coach in baseball - they have a "name" guy (e.g. Pete Rose when he was manager) as the coach, but the real coach is the bench coach. Triangle made it to the finals. It works with a lineup that doesn't have a star player. It works good with bigs like ours who are good ball handlers. Hmmm.... Del Negro as GM, Cartwright as coach. Could turn out good. Seems like that is what's in the cards.
Hell, I really hope he does well. But I like to separate my hopes from my evaluation of what I think will actually happen. And what I think will actually happen is that he won't be very good. 1. Inexperienced coach coming into a very complex situation. Why's it complex? + Need strong player development. + Crowded rotation you'll have to keep happy. + Players that don't necessarily fit that well together in the first place. + High expectations. + No obvious (good) leadership from players. + Establishing a professional environment where there isn't one (player dissension, no videotape, no playbook, etc etc). 2. The first thing I've seen about Del Negro I didn't like. Supposedly he was upset that D'Antoni didn't play "his guys". Well, Vinnie, by and large, I'm going to have to side with D'Antoni on that one. He was busy trying to put the best players on the floor for a contending team and VD is miffed because DJ Strawberry and Marcus Banks aren't getting run? They aren't getting run because they stink, Vin. Wanting "your guys" to play is one thing, but not having a good perspective on who your guys are and what your team's situation is, to the extent you're mad about it, is not good. 3. Bob Hill as the lead assistant? Hill, I think, was VD's coach in San Antonio, who was summarily fired by Popovich under somewhat strange circumstances, flopped at Fordham and then with Seattle. So yeah, I'm not optimistic.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Denny Crane @ Jun 10 2008, 01:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Bob Hill? Wasn't he the bigman coach who developed Dwight Howard and several others?</div> No, that's Brian Hill you're probably thinking of. Former Magic Coach. Bob Hill is the former Spurs, Sonics and Fordham U coach http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont...-?urn=nba,87095 <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>One thing scares the crap out of me - the idea that Bob Hill will become Del Negro's lead assistant. There's nothing wrong, especially as a coaching neophyte, to have a veteran hand behind you. But Hill's veteran hand has had no shame in stabbing his bosses in the back in the past as he tries to move up in the food chain. He's the ultimate NBA usurper, and has been for over two decades. With Del Negro working with one of the league's cheapest coaching contracts and with only two years guaranteed, I can't think of a coach I'd look less fondly on to take over should things go to pot, say, by December of 2009. I'd be looking fondly on the truncated Doug Collins era by that point.</div> He posted an impressively bad 2-26 record at Fordham a couple years ago and somehow still got the Sonics job.
DaBullz, are you implying Del Negro was brought in to be GM and not a coach? As in he's making the decisions; not Paxson anymore.... Or what do you mean?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Vintage @ Jun 10 2008, 09:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>DaBullz, are you implying Del Negro was brought in to be GM and not a coach? As in he's making the decisions; not Paxson anymore.... Or what do you mean?</div> I took it as him hypothesizing a couple years down the road.
Steve Kerr: <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>"The only reason I didn't consider him is he didn't have coaching experience and I felt that was important for a veteran team," Kerr said. "We don't have a young team like the Bulls. He was really impressive in the interview process."</div> See, I'd think coaching experience important for a young team? If you've got vets, they simply tune out a newbie coach who doesn't know what he's doing. If you've got young and impressionable guys who don't know any better, then they just learn a fucked up way of doing things if the team isn't on the ball.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MikeDC @ Jun 10 2008, 06:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Vintage @ Jun 10 2008, 09:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>DaBullz, are you implying Del Negro was brought in to be GM and not a coach? As in he's making the decisions; not Paxson anymore.... Or what do you mean?</div> I took it as him hypothesizing a couple years down the road. </div> Or that Pax may be considering the Notre Dame AD job. Pax being an alum and better suited for that job than as GM of a professional team.
Paxson seems pretty capable of being an NBA GM...it is just that Jerry Reindsorf is doing his job for him, and he doesn't seem to be a good GM.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Denny Crane @ Jun 10 2008, 10:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MikeDC @ Jun 10 2008, 06:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Vintage @ Jun 10 2008, 09:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>DaBullz, are you implying Del Negro was brought in to be GM and not a coach? As in he's making the decisions; not Paxson anymore.... Or what do you mean?</div> I took it as him hypothesizing a couple years down the road. </div> Or that Pax may be considering the Notre Dame AD job. Pax being an alum and better suited for that job than as GM of a professional team. </div> I can't think of a job Pax would be less suited for. If he wigs out over media leaks and rumors and whatnot in Chicago he'll last about 4 minutes as AD at ND.
I think he'll never have a "go get your best offer and we'll decide whether to match it" moment as AD at ND. One of the worst things I can recall a GM ever doing in my lifetime is what Pax did to both Cartwright and Fizer. Fizer, as you remember, was coming into his own and then suffered a serious injury. He wasn't through with his rehab and Pax ordered Cartwright to play him anyway. I can't conceive of Cartwright coming back to the Bulls to work for Pax. However, another possibility for Pax might be team president and leave the GM duties and player personnel duties to Del Negro. As president, he could focus on the profits, which is something he's demonstrated to be most excellent at doing.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BG7 Lavigne @ Jun 10 2008, 09:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Paxson seems pretty capable of being an NBA GM...it is just that Jerry Reindsorf is doing his job for him, and he doesn't seem to be a good GM.</div> I agree. And the more I think about this move, the more it looks like a move made primarily by Reinsdorf than Pax. It seems logical too. Hiring a rookie coach is clearly going to be cheaper than bringing in someone like a Mike D'Antoni or Avery Johnson, coaches that have proven they can coach and win on this level. And seeing as how Reinsdorf is a cheapass, it just makes sense.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Moo2K4 @ Jun 10 2008, 10:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BG7 Lavigne @ Jun 10 2008, 09:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Paxson seems pretty capable of being an NBA GM...it is just that Jerry Reindsorf is doing his job for him, and he doesn't seem to be a good GM.</div> I agree. And the more I think about this move, the more it looks like a move made primarily by Reinsdorf than Pax. It seems logical too. Hiring a rookie coach is clearly going to be cheaper than bringing in someone like a Mike D'Antoni or Avery Johnson, coaches that have proven they can coach and win on this level. And seeing as how Reinsdorf is a cheapass, it just makes sense. </div> It doesn't make sense to me. Reinsdorf isn't cheap, he's greedy. Cheap doesn't make for big profits, winning does. If anything, Reinsdorf may feel burned by the championship team, with Pip griping about his low pay, Jordan vetoing trades, and PJax gunning for the GM+coach role. Bringing in a $4M coach instead of a $2M coach may look, on the surface, like $2M less profit. If the team wins, there's certain to be more than $2M gained back from ticket sales (Bulls have a ticket resale/scalping program) and merchandise sales. A winning team can demand a bigger TV contract deal, too. My take is that Del Negro was pissed off by the Shaq deal, and perhaps by Steve Kerr's management style or lack of experience, and letting D'Antoni go. Why wouldn't he be the logical heir apparent in Phoenix if he's such a great coaching prospect? If Paxson is looking at the ND AD job, then Reinsdorf is covering his ass by hiring a guy who's perfectly capable of stepping into the GM role. I have been vocal about my dislike of Paxson and Skiles all along. I have no such ill feelings toward Del Negro. If he ends up being the coach, I'll be rooting for him to succeed. If he becomes GM, I only see much bigger and greater things for the Bulls in a hurry.
I disagree, the reason Reinsdorf has as much money he does is because he doesn't open his pockets. He wants to win, but he's not willing to open his pocket for it. If winning is that important, he wouldn't have brought in a rookie head coach when someone like Avery Johnson is out there, who by the way, has the highest winning percentage ever for someones first three seasons. Vinny....oh yea, hasn't even coached a game. Beyond that, if he wanted to win, I'd think he'd have found a way to get Deng and Gordon both resigned by now. they're each integral parts of the Bulls future, but Reinsdorf doesn't want to pay the luxury tax, so more than likely, one of those is going to walk. In my book, he's cheap, and this move just cements that thought for me.
