Bulls may be considering Doug Collins
Do a double-take on that headline if you must. Yes, Doug Collins–the Chicago Bulls coach who was fired in 1989 and replaced with his assistant–is being considered as a possible choice in the long-running (it feels like its gone on twice as long as it has) Chicago Bulls coach hunt. According to league sources, he’s actually agreed to come back for another stint, though a deal won’t be announced until after he finishes working for TNT on the Western Conference Finals.
Apparently Bulls manager John Paxson and Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, ever so beloved by the Chicago Sun-Times, are downplaying the deal, reminding everyone that nothing has been signed on paper yet, so let’s not all get too excited. But still, it’s hard to resist. Collins was a great coach, and led the Bulls at one of their strongest moments in basketball history. Excuse us if we can’t get a little excited about him returning to finish the job and pull the Bulls to new heights again.
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Coach speculation goes on
The Chicago Sun-Times is following the Bulls ongoing coaching hunt, reporting that general manager John Paxson has an interview with another candidate coming up (who is left unnamed), but is “still looking.” The Times also has a list of names to report, so you can check off each one and consider them in the running: “Lakers assistants Kurt Rambis and Brian Shaw. Jazz assistants Tyrone Corbin and Jeff Hornacek, Kings assistant Chuck Person and former Timberwolves coach Dwane Casey.”
Mavericks coach Avery Johnson has been banging at Chicago’s door, but so far, no one’s let him in. Perhaps he’s that interview Paxson mentioned.
What you can count on is the possibilities of who will be the next Chicago Bulls coach will be very broad. This won’t be decided easily, and sports commentators will be picking over the possibilities for a long, long while. So will fans and casual basketball watchers.
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Columnist lets Reinsdorf have it
Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf has been the focus of the media lately as people ponder the Bulls’ fate and their ongoing hunt for the right coach. Specifically, people are being fairly critical. In a Chicago Sun-Times column, Jay Mariotti really let him have it:
“It’s not breaking news that Jerry Reinsdorf is a bitter, old, vindictive man. At 72, he should be above the crybaby instincts to fire barbs at a basketball coach who rejected him, especially when the Bulls have been a rot-gut oufit in the 10 years since he let the Jordan Dynasty wilt.”
Tell us how you really feel, Jay. He was lambasting Reinsdorf for going on the radio and claiming D’Antoni was scared off by the prospect of coaching a team defensively. Some of those criticisms are fairly aimed, though it seems like Reinsdorf is everybody’s punching bag these days.
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Reinsdorf says defense talk was too much for D’Antoni
Oh, Mike D’Antoni. You’re careful courting of the Bulls is still producing stories for people to analyze and mull over. Will it ever stop?
No, probably not, and sports commentators aren’t the only ones doing the talking. Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, still a bit miffed about D’Antoni splitting and taking the position of coach for the New York Knicks, speculates that all the talk about an emphasis on defense scared the man off. D’Antoni, you’ll remember, was never kept in mind as a defensive strategist; offense is his forte, and he put it on display while coaching the Phoenix Suns. But under the Bulls, a new philosophy–or a team restructuring–would have been necessary.
Reinsdorf suggests “it wasn’t being indecisive so much as being careful,” according to the Chicago Sun-Times. A bit too careful for Bulls fans.
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Who will be No. 1?
Former Bulls player Eddy Curry has been out giving advice to potential number one picks, according to this article for the Chicago Tribune. As a hometown player, he’s in a similar position as Dereck Rose, a candidate for the Bulls’ overall pick. There’s some pressure that stems from playing for your hometown, Curry said. That comes largely from the anxiety of knowing your friends and family, your neighbors, the people you grew up around, and the people who see you on the street regularly, are all watching your every move.
But he doesn’t take that criticism too seriously: “The first year I put too much pressure on myself. But once I got used to being in the NBA, playing in my hometown was fun because the fans were great. They really root for you.”
Interesting thoughts from Curry. If you’re looking for Chicago Bulls tickets, or any sports tickets, you can find them at Stubhub.com.
Paxson isn’t speculating, but we are
Everyone’s been focused on the Chicago Bulls coach draft, but have been ignoring the player draft. Chicago Sports.com is reporting that John Paxson isn’t jumping to any conclusions about who will be picked. That’s a game for fans, but not for the team:
“I know people want immediate answers,” Paxson said. “That game is for everybody on the outside looking in. That’s not our game. Our game is going through the process thoroughly, evaluating it the proper way, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
That’s all very well, John, but don’t expect anyone outside the team to stop playing the game. We’ll all be looking at the possible picks, and there are plenty of them.
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Bulls at top of lottery
A new story, finally veering away from the time-honored tradition of reporting on the Chicago Bulls coach hunt. Mercury News is reporting they made the lottery cut. They apparently had a 1.7 percent chance of “climbing from the no. 9 spot to the top.”
“The Bulls almost certainly will choose between Michael Beasley, the Kansas State forward who averaged 26.2 points and an NCAA-best 12.4 rebounds, and Derrick Rose, the point guard who carried Memphis within minutes of the national title. The draft will be held June 26 in New York.”
Interesting picks there, so you can start a betting pool around something other than who’s going to become the next Chicago Bulls coach. Still, will the Bulls in the running now, you better start looking forward to getting some sports tickets. Chicago Bulls tickets can be purchased at Stubhub.com.
Coach watch: Update
The Chicago Tribune reported a few twists today in the race for the Chicago Bulls coach. There’s no longer a leading candidate, according to them, and the pool of candidates seems to be expanding by the day. Tyron Corbin, former Utah Jazz assistant is one the many to be recently interviewed. Here’s the rub: The Phoenix Suns are also keeping an eye on Corbin. Wouldn’t it be ironic if the Suns stuck it to the Bulls twice in a month? It could happen. Let’s hope owner Jerry Reinsdorf doesn’t settle on Corbin, appealing as he may be.
Currently in the running are Lakers assistant Brian Shaw and Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau. It’s truly anyone’s game at this point.
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The Bulls look elsewhere for new coach material
Today’s story comes from The Chicago Sun-Times, which lays out the paths the Chicago Bulls still have available now that former Phoenix Suns coach Mike D’Antoni has become current New York Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni.
Former Dallas Spurs coach Avery Johnson was one option, but the Sun-Times is reporting he isn’t interested in the job.
The end of the article lays out who else might be in the running:
“Bulls general manager John Paxson has scheduled interviews next week with coaches currently on the staffs of playoff teams, including Utah Jazz assistant Tyrone Corbin. Those interviews could take place once the second round concludes.
“Other assistants expected to be interviewed by Paxson include Boston’s Tom Thibodeau, Detroit’s Michael Curry, and Brian Shaw of the Los Angeles Lakers.”
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Interesting profile on D’Antoni
Okay, okay. So everyone’s had enough Mike D’Antoni news for a long while. He turned down the Chicago Bulls for the New York Knicks earlier this week, prompting this profile on him by the New York Times.
While the focus of this blog is the Bulls, D’Antoni has been in the spotlight for so long that this profile makes for interesting reading. Who is this man who the Bulls were courting for the court? He grew up in a politically active household, one where competition was constantly around. He even had a brush with the Bulls earlier in his life, when he was still a player looking for a team (he had little success on that front, eventually moving to Milan and joining an Italian basketball team).
Before you wave goodbye to D’Antoni, you might want to give this character sketch a read.
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