Foreshadowings of the Next Bulls Coach?

by Steve Weinman on Apr 17, 2008 7:00 PM EDT in NBA Comment 3 comments

Word on the street (and, more importantly, in the press offices) is that John Paxson's list to fill what is likely to be a vacancy at head coach for the Bulls isn't going to be long.

Word is also that Rick Carlisle is going to be on that list.

As reported by the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson:

Rick Carlisle worked in Portland with John's brother, Jim, who serves as a Bulls consultant. Jim has stayed close with Carlisle, who also interviewed for the Bulls' coaching vacancy when then-general manager Jerry Krause hired Tim Floyd. Carlisle also is rumored to be a candidate for the expected vacancy in Milwaukee, so the Bulls might have to act fact if they desire to hire Carlisle.

Makes enough sense to me. Relatively young coaches with .571 career winning percentages tend to not have to wait too long on the unemployment line.

Comments

Rick Calisle looks like a John Paxson choice. Reliable, quality, experienced. Unfortunately he’s Skiles all over again (control freak), I’m not sure how well that’s going to go down.

Carlisle is rumoured to be the first choice for Hammonds in Milwaukee too.

Be interesting to see where he lands. It’d be great for Kirk Hinrich to have a controlling coach, he doesn’t have ingenuity to run a ball club. He’s a lot better when he’s executing someone else’s orders.

by Who on Apr 17, 2008 12:38 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Who,

Read you like a book that time — I should have mentioned it in my initial piece…but I wanted to wait and let you corroborate my internalized theory about Carlisle’s demeanor. From everything I’ve heard about his tenure in Indy, you’re absolutely right — seems like they may need to go in more of a player’s coach direction…but we’ll see.

-sw

by Steve Weinman on Apr 17, 2008 1:00 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I don’t envy John Paxson’s decision on this one. It’s going to be extremely difficult, one of the most difficult decisions of this summer. The Bulls need to regain some stability and the best way to do that is a quick and good decision on their head coach.

The Bulls have lost their players right now. Their performances in the second half were wild, you could anything on any given night. They need a coach that can come in and pull them back together.

One thing going for Paxson is that he’s very up front and open with his players about his intentions during free agency. He meets his players the first day and makes them an offer. They know where they stand. That’ll help but the direction he chooses in his head coach will be the most important.

How will the players react to a controlling coach?
How would they react to a fast break coach?

Hinrich can’t run a fast break. Either can Gordon. How long until that gameplan falls apart.

But where do you go for a head coach? A controlling coach will likely get more out of this unit than any other. What style of play do you bring in? There’s still no post game. Chicago have no idea what Tyrus Thomas will bring next year. Do you push the ball and let their perimeter scorers go gung-ho on the break? They’re already a solid defensive team, one that relies more on one-on-one D than help D which limits what they can change back there.

There’s no discernable style of play that really stands out as good idea that’ll help improve them. Chances are that they’re already playing their best game plan.

Very difficult

All of his decisions are going to be extrememly hard. He needs to start jettisoning players that duplicate one another – Gordon/Hughes – Duhon/Hinrich – Deng/Nocioni – Gooden/Thomas. I don’t think anyone outside of Deng brings back much of a bounty which is only going to make it tougher. Paxson likes to make perfect deals and seems to flinch at anything other, it’ll require a big change for him to move those players.

But no decision is harder than his head coach. He could lose or hurt half the squad in one move.

There’s a good chance Paxson gets killed no matter who he chooses.

by Who on Apr 17, 2008 2:12 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs