Tom Thibodeau Daring Chicago Bulls To Fire Him?
Tom Thibodeau’s battles with Chicago Bulls’ management might have been on full display in last Sunday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder when
Joakim Noahwas on the bench when he was desperately needed down the stretch. Thibodeau put the blame on the minutes restrictions placed on Noah by management, but he could have used those minutes smarter. Was the move a dare to management to fire him?
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For the past two seasons, rumors swirled around the Chicago Bulls about the deteriorating relationship between head coach Tom Thibodeau and team management.
The confirmation of those rumors may have been in full display during Sunday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Down the stretch of that game, while the Bulls were in desperate need of a presence in the middle, a defensive force to defend the rim, the Bulls’ best rim defender, Joakim Noah, was on the bench watching the game.
Apparently, Noah, who has battled injuries all season and is still recovering from off-season knee surgery, was put on a minutes restriction.
The schism between Thibodeau and management was never more clear than on Sunday.
Thibodeau complains that the restrictions on minutes makes it difficult to coach. Management argues that this is just another example of Thibodeau mismanagement.
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Noah was incensed with sitting on the bench as the Bulls lost. So much so that the affable center left the locker room without speaking to the media.
This is the same Noah who spoke about Thibodeau’s hard ways. “I remember one day we were working out at the Berto Center and Thibs was putting me through a real grueling workout and I told him, ‘You know, Thibs? If we weren’t winning games I would really, really hate you.'”
I said on a number of occasions after Thibodeau’s first season, that his style will lend to a crash and burn scenario. Yes, it’s cool early on, but if there is no adjustments made to philosophy, that style will wear thin with the players and management. Then the losses will pile up, and the fans will be unhappy. We are getting to that point.
Thibodeau is a smart coach. He’s been in basketball almost his entire life. I’m sure he could have managed Noah’s minutes so that he could be on the floor when his teammates needed him. The fact the he didn’t may be his way of daring management to do something.
Since Thibodeau knows what he is doing, and is in good health as far as anyone knows, it leads me to think that he did it for a reason. I mean, he cries about minutes restrictions helping lose the game, but what about the SEVENTEEN OTHER TIMES HE PLAYED NOAH OVER THE RESTRICTIONS?
The move Thibodeau pulled on Sunday SHOULD cost him his job, IMMEDIATELY. Management is not being unreasonable. After four years of tired legs and injuries, they want to see the team make a real playoff run.
A healthy playoff run.
Taj Gibson, Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose are out with injuries but are expected back. What does Thibodeau want to do, run Noah into the ground as the other three come back?
Thibodeau is running around, thinking that management is wrong, the players are wrong and the fans are wrong. Sorry, Thibs, but it is YOU who is wrong. These players are not robots, and you cannot use them as if they are.
Thibodeau continues to think that his way is the only way. Well, his way will earn him a one-way ticket out of Chicago, and deservedly so.