Bulls Game No. 65: It’s hard to not put Monday’s loss on Tom Thibodeau

In the span of 5:13 on Monday night, the Chicago Bulls went from leading the Memphis Grizzlies by three points, to losing by 10 and left with questions as to why head coach Tom Thibodeau made what turned out to be a critical error (or two) in the final five minutes.

There’s no question that Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau is one of the best coaches in the NBA. The 2010-11 NBA Coach of the Year has won almost 65 percent of his games since taking the head coaching job in Chicago prior to the ’10-11 season, going 244-133 into his fifth year with the Bulls.

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Despite the success in getting the Bulls to the playoffs every year in his 4+ years, Thibodeau has been the subject of heavy criticism in terms of players playing too many minutes and his lack of offensive creativity.

On Monday night, in a hotly-contested ballgame against the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies, the Bulls led the game 88-85 with 5:13 left in the fourth quarter and in the midst of a 23-12 run, Thibodeau sat Tony Snell and replaced him with Aaron Brooks.

To put things in perspective, Brooks scored 15 points on 14 shots and had a plus-minus of -20 on Monday night. Snell led all Bulls scorers with 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting and was a catalyst in the fourth quarter run.

After Thibodeau pulled Snell, the Grizzlies tied the game at 88 before Snell re-entered the game for Kirk Hinrich with 4:22 left. Despite the hot-shooting Snell back in the contest, the Grizzlies went on a 9-0 run to take a 94-88 lead.

Then, with 2:05 left, the Bulls were called for a technical foul for having six players on the floor coming out of a timeout. Memphis would make the technical free throw and finished off the Bulls by scoring seven of the last 10 points of the game.

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Coaches make mistakes in every game. It’s part of every sport. Bulls fans are well-aware that Thibodeau’s coaching has come into question by not only the media, but Chicago’s upper management as well.

Personally, Thibodeau’s move to put Brooks in for Snell made no sense. Snell had 11 of the 23 points until that 5:13 mark of the fourth quarter where he was pulled. The Bulls only scored three points inside of the final six minutes.

What’s tough about Thibodeau’s mistakes from Monday is the Bulls had taken control of a game against an elite opponent minus three key players in their rotation. Instead, the Bulls lost their fourth game in the last six, with four of the next six games on the road.

Thibodeau’s errors just add to the chaotic last couple weeks for the Bulls, who have lost Derrick Rose (meniscus surgery), Taj Gibson (sprained ankle) and Jimmy Butler (sprained elbow) for an extended period of time down the stretch of the season.

A lot of people care, Derrick…

Rose, who underwent surgery to remove the meniscus in his right knee two weeks ago, spoke to the media about his status for this season before Monday’s game.

"“It was all about just getting back on the court,” Rose said. “It was something that they have to take out, and at the time I really didn’t care. I wasn’t worried about the future. I just wanted it out, be able to walk right and get to rehab right away.”-Derrick Rose on his meniscus surgery, ChicagoTribune.com"

When the league’s youngest MVP spoke for a 12-minute period outside of the Bulls locker room on Monday night, he gave a fair share of optimism in his replies to the media’s questions, but no set time as to when he’ll return to action.

At one point in the presser for Rose, he was asked in he’ll return within the four-to-six window the Bulls laid out for him after his surgery on Feb. 28. His response was a simple, “Who cares?”

Rose later added, “I’m not even thinking about that right now. I’m thinking about getting the most out of every day.”

It’s obvious how Rose’s words will be nitpicked by fans and different media outlets until he return to the hardwood this season — if he returns this season.

But, for a player who’s been plagued by injury after injury since he entered the NBA, maybe fans and media members should realize that Rose is just sick of talking about his body failing him constantly in his returns back to stardom.

Next: Bulls Game No. 64: 20 turnovers Tony Parker = loss in San Antonio