For five years, Tom Thibodeau called the shots for the Chicago Bulls. He led them to a 255-129 regular-season record (.647), a 23-28 postseason record, and a 62-20 season that ended with a heartbreaking trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.
All in all, Thibs had a strong run in Chicago. He helped Derrick Rose become the youngest MVP in NBA history, and he made sure to keep the team competitive after the string of injuries -- partly his fault -- derailed his career.
That's why it's not much of a surprise to hear his name tied to the Bulls again. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, Thibodeau would gladly return to the Windy City to replace Billy Donovan. That, however, may not be a smart decision.
The Bulls should be thankful to Tom Thibodeau, but he can't come back (now)
"The 68-year-old was fired from his Knicks post last summer but is looking for the right fit for his coaching future again. And yes, league sources say, that includes the prospect of a Bulls reunion if the Reinsdorfs and new executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham, who was hired away from the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, had interest," Amick wrote.
Don't get me wrong, from a basketball perspective, Thibodeau would be a better choice than most potential candidates. However, that doesn't mean he's a good fit. The timing just isn't right for a coach like Tom Thibodeau.
The Bulls are going to have two lottery picks plus Noa Essengue, who will essentially be a rookie after missing most of his first year in the league. Thibodeau doesn't want to hear anything about tanking or player development, and he's not going to give the young players a long leash. The Bulls desperately need to strike gold in this year's stacked draft class and, more importantly, they need to let those rookies grow through their mistakes.
Granted, Thibs would certainly work wonders for the Bulls' unimpressive defense. There's just no way they'd finish 22nd in defensive rating (118.8) again with him at the helm. He definitely deserves another shot in the league -- he probably shouldn't have been fired in the first place -- but this wouldn't be a good move by the Bulls.
The Bulls' reluctance to tank and give up on playoff contention has them stuck in basketball purgatory. They're not bad enough to land a top pick or good enough to compete at the highest level, and that's the worst possible place to be, at least before Adam Silver introduced the draft lottery reform.
Thibodeau will play seven games for 40 minutes, wear them out, and flame out in the second round of the playoffs with backups filing in for the injured starters, all while the rookies ride the bench. That's not what this team needs right now.
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