Chicago Bulls: Top 3 coaching candidates, per report

Candidate 3: Tom Thibodeau

Tom Thibodeau is not just the wild card here, but he is what the Sun Times calls the “ideal” candidate for the job. Cowley notes that, if Reinsdorf were to put his emotions on the rear view, he would allow Karnisovas to hire the best available candidate for the job.

According to Cowley, that guy is Thibodeau.

Personally, I cannot day I disagree.

While many Bulls fans might not like the idea of Thibs returning to Chicago, I kind of see what Cowley means by his stance. Some fans will note that Thibs is primarily a defense-first guy who plays a core of players into the ground — and they would be correct.

However, this is the kind of core you want to do that with. It is full of youth, along with guys who can score and create for others — Zach LaVine and Coby White being the primary examples.

Thibs would instill the one thing this team needs the most: a defensive intensity that the Bulls haven’t come close to since, well, Thibodeau’s departure. If LaVine and White could become stronger defenders, coupled with Wendell Carter Jr. and Daniel Gafford both bringing the energy in the paint, that’s a solid core group of young difference-makers on the defensive end.

It might sound crazy, but Thibs is exactly what this team needs.