Chicago Bulls: Can Fred Hoiberg really lead a rebuild?

Is Fred Hoiberg the right head coach to lead the Chicago Bulls through a rebuilding period? The evidence thus far suggests he’s not.

After trading all-star guard Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves during the NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls are now a rebuilding team. Not a championship contender. Let alone, a playoff contender.

Since that’s the case, it’s fair to wonder if head coach Fred Hoiberg can lead a rebuild? While he has two seasons under his belt coaching the Bulls, his track record for developing young talent has been sketchy.

Poor history of development

Just look at some of his current/former players. Doug McDermott, the sharp-shooter who was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in February. He was supposed to flourish under the guidance of Hoiberg, a three-point shooting specialist himself, back in the day. A match made in heaven, right? Far from it. McDermott’s defense didn’t improve under Hoiberg, while his offensive production remained stagnant at best.

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Bobby Portis is another young player that immediately comes to mind. After showing flashes of promise as a rookie, his development stalled in his second season. Battling for minutes off a crowded bench didn’t do Portis any favors. Neither did his field-goal percentage, which dropped significantly over the span of a year.

How about Cameron Payne? The player the Bulls received from the Thunder last February in exchange for Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott. The front office paid a large price to acquire the young point guard. Unfortunately, he was unable to crack meaningful minutes in the Bulls’ rotation. Even worse, Payne got sent down to play in the D-League in March.

And who can forget about the play of power forward, Nikola Mirotic? If anyone was supposed to benefit greatly from playing under Hoiberg, he was the safest bet. Not anymore though. Mirotic, under Hoiberg, hasn’t shown much growth as a player.

He still shoots ill-advised, 30-foot threes. His scoring average dipped in 2016, along with his three-point shooting percentage. It will be interesting to see if the Bulls look to resign him, after drafting sharp-shooting power forward, Lauri Markkanen, with the seventh overall pick.

Hoiberg has opportunity to prove himself

Overall, with a new cast of young, inexperienced players to work with, Hoiberg will have his work cut out for him. Of course, without Jimmy Butler on the roster now, this opens even more playing time for younger players to hopefully shine on the biggest stage.

Will Hoiberg be up to the challenge of setting his players up for sustainable success? Even if it doesn’t result in many wins next season, the least Hoiberg could do is instill confidence in his younger players to not shy away from contributing in big moments. Something that was lacking far too often last season.

Doing that alone would be a big step in the right direction, for both the rebuilding Chicago Bulls and their head coach.

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