KC Johnson: Bulls point finger at selves, not Hoiberg, for late game failures

[clonetrooper264]

Article below

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...berg-bulls-slide-spt-0208-20160207-story.html

 

[Axl Rose]

Over 10 NBA seasons and 541 career games, Fred Hoiberg never drew a technical foul in his playing career.

So it's not like Hoiberg all of a sudden will start kicking and screaming along the sideline as the Bulls' inconsistencies and late-game collapses continue.

But don't confuse rules compliance with complacency or a lack of competitiveness. You don't carve out a double-digit playing career as a second-round pick without strong drive. And plenty of other coaches — the Zen Master comes to mind — rode a calm sideline demeanor to success.

This isn't to say Hoiberg is Phil Jackson, obviously. It is to say Hoiberg's style continues to be praised by players, both publicly and privately, despite the Bulls' slide.

They're looking inward as their 2-4 trip concludes Monday in Charlotte.

"He's good," Mike Dunleavy said of Hoiberg. "He's such an even-keeled guy. He works at it. He's a terrific coach. We've been fortunate the last couple years to have a good coach in Thibs and a good coach in Fred. But as players we have to figure it out and be better.

"I mean, look, I played for him for one game. But I've watched him throughout the season. He gets his point across pretty clearly. I don't know if you'd rather see him running up and the sidelines throwing towels and getting technicals and stuff like that. But I feel good about what our coaching staff is doing and putting us in the right positions. We have to make stuff happen."

This is no empty endorsement. Dunleavy is a coach's son, a respected veteran who knows the league intimately inside and out and is a straight shooter. He doesn't suffer fools/

Sure, Hoiberg has mishandled moments. Making public the erroneous story that Joakim Noah offered to come off the bench displeased Noah, ever the proud competitor. And the fact the Bulls rank 26th in offensive rating isn't a great look after Hoiberg's hiring was sold in part as an offensive revelation.

But players continue to insist the majority of the blame for their inconsistencies falls on them. And the fact core pieces projected for large jumps in production have failed to take consistent advantage — players like Nikola Mirotic, Doug McDermott and Tony Snell — falls as much, if not more so, on management as coaching.

"Fred's been doing a great job of making us talk in practice," Derrick Rose said. "(The coaches) rarely talk in practice now when we do drills, when we go over plays, because they're trying to get us more used to being talkative while we're out there. It's rubbing off a little bit. It's just that we need to do it more."

Hoiberg consistently has pointed to the Bulls shrinking during adverse moments. That's an atypical look for a franchise whose previous coach in Tom Thibodeau could've patented the "next man up" mentality.

But when asked if he remains confident as a first-year NBA coach that he possesses the voice and vision to keep his team on point during tough times, Hoiberg circled the wagons for his beleaguered bunch.

"We've battled adversity since day one," Hoiberg said. "Derrick breaks a bone in his eye. Mike has offseason surgery. We've had guys in and out of the lineup. That's adversity. You have to find a way to battle through that. And guys step up and fill those roles.

"Now it's about us getting Derrick playing the way we want him to with his pace and his push. We're getting a couple guys back healthy. It's about getting the five toughest players you can to finish the games for you."

Given that the Bulls' last three losses have featured blown late leads, that's no easy task.

"Whatever makes everybody individually good, you have to bring that together collectively," Dunleavy said. "Just have that belief no matter who is playing and who is not. This team has been through this before in terms of having guys out. It hasn't stopped us. You just show up, do your job and you get wins. That's what we've done. So we have to get back on track."

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[clonetrooper264]

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Thanks for doing what I was too lazy to do

 

[houheffna]

I WANT to blame Hoiberg...but just can't right now.

 

[Axl Rose]

I WANT to blame Hoiberg...but just can't right now.

hes not great in late game situations it doesn't seem but that can improve. plus he doesn't seem to have much of a voice either....i'll say so far hes been c- or d this season....hes not been very good

but i still back him as coach. i think he has the right ideas and im willing to give him ample time to get his footing and prove himself but if there is no huge improvement by year 3, i'd call him a bust

 

[The Hawk]

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I thought it amazing that Dunleavy is so impressed with a guy who has coached him for one fucking game

 

[The Hawk]

Clearly, Hoiberg should have stayed in college but I guess the guy got a good bump in salary and can always go back. He also has an owner who won't fire him as long as he "communicates" with his three bosses. That's the ticket. Communication is where its at. It is the key, huh? YOu know what THIBS did? He COMMUNICATED what he wanted out of his PLAYERS, not what the front office wanted out of HIS PLAYERS.

Another thing and I do not have a shred of evidence to back this up. I think Pau Gasol was a big bitcher behind Thibs back. Gasol likes to think of himself as an intellectual and has already stated how he "doesn't like to get yelled at". Poor fucking baby.Now he wants to leave. I say get rid of him. His statements in the other article says it all to me about him as a guy who complains a LOT but doesn't bust his ass a lot if things are not going his way.

 

[ChiSoxCity]

The same dumb ass team doing the same dumb ass things... why would any rational thinking person blame the coach?

The players haven't played up to expectations, so hold them accountable and get rid of them. There is no reason why Rose, Noah, Gibson, and Heinrich should still be here. None. At this point, I'm open to the Bulls trading everyone, including Butler and Gasol and/or Mirotic. The time to start rebuilding was 3 years ago. Now none of these guys have much trade value because they're old and make too much money, but **** it. Get rid of them and move on.

 

[The Hawk]

The same dumb ass team doing the same dumb ass things... why would any rational thinking person blame the coach?

The players haven't played up to expectations, so hold them accountable and get rid of them. There is no reason why Rose, Noah, Gibson, and Heinrich should still be here. None. At this point, I'm open to the Bulls trading everyone, including Butler and Gasol and/or Mirotic. The time to start rebuilding was 3 years ago. Now none of these guys have much trade value because they're old and make too much money, but **** it. Get rid of them and move on.

Not me. I am for FIRING the two stupid idiots in the front office. It is like blaming the employees when the guys in charge aren't doing their jobs. And unless they get rid of those two stupes, no trades or draft picks are going to do any good. This is a rudderless ship that has now run aground. Truthfully, what is the future of this team? With Reiny/Gar/Pax, it is hopeless.

 

[ChiSoxCity]

Not me. I am for FIRING the two stupid idiots in the front office. It is like blaming the employees when the guys in charge aren't doing their jobs. And unless they get rid of those two stupes, no trades or draft picks are going to do any good. This is a rudderless ship that has now run aground. Truthfully, what is the future of this team? With Reiny/Gar/Pax, it is hopeless.

Oh I agree, GarPax should be fired. Realistically, we both know Paxson will be retained for as long as "the Chairman" has anything to say about it.

However, at this point you have to understand that this team cannot win a championship as constructed. They can't even win the Eastern Conference. In consideration of the toxic environment in the locker room, the lack of trust on the court, the frequency of long term injuries, and most damning of all, the poor playoff performances for a team of this stature and payroll, now is the time to make significant roster changes and build for the future.

 

[houheffna]

I thought it amazing that Dunleavy is so impressed with a guy who has coached him for one fucking game

Lol...practice? Sitting on the sideline for months...he can't make an assessment without it being about him actually playing in a game?

 

[The Hawk]

Oh I agree, GarPax should be fired. Realistically, we both know Paxson will be retained for as long as "the Chairman" has anything to say about it.

However, at this point you have to understand that this team cannot win a championship as constructed. They can't even win the Eastern Conference. In consideration of the toxic environment in the locker room, the lack of trust on the court, the frequency of long term injuries, and most damning of all, the poor playoff performances for a team of this stature and payroll, now is the time to make significant roster changes and build for the future.

I do agree with that and it is a shame because they did have most of the pieces to win a championship or two. SOme of it was bad luck with Rose going down but still they were close but failed to do what smart teams that want to WIN championships do and that is spend a bit more money and bring in players that can help your team win a championship. THe Spurs are a classic example of that.

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

Blow up the roster. Jimmy included if need be.

 

[The Hawk]

Lol...practice? Sitting on the sideline for months...he can't make an assessment without it being about him actually playing in a game?

You mean the guy who never played defense even when healthy. I guess being a coach's son entitles him to important input about the worthiness of a coach? Maybe he is auditioning for an assistant's job on Hoiberg's staff. Doesn't he know that Hinrich and McDermott have already applied and are on the waiting list for the job?

Mike Dunleavy, another poster child for Bull's front office incompetence

 

[houheffna]

You mean the guy who never played defense even when healthy. I guess being a coach's son entitles him to important input about the worthiness of a coach? Maybe he is auditioning for an assistant's job on Hoiberg's staff. Doesn't he know that Hinrich and McDermott have already applied and are on the waiting list for the job?

Mike Dunleavy, another poster child for Bull's front office incompetence

I don't know what the hell you are talking about....

 

[Scoot26]

I don't know what the hell you are talking about....

Usually no one does...

Sent from the mod station in Nome, Alaska.

 

[Axl Rose]

I don't know what the hell you are talking about....

i busted out laughing when i seen your avy

 

[houheffna]

i busted out laughing when i seen your avy

so did I bruh...so did I...

 

[The Hawk]

Originally Posted by The Hawk View Post

You mean the guy who never played defense even when healthy. I guess being a coach's son entitles him to important input about the worthiness of a coach? Maybe he is auditioning for an assistant's job on Hoiberg's staff. Doesn't he know that Hinrich and McDermott have already applied and are on the waiting list for the job?

Mike Dunleavy, another poster child for Bull's front office incompetence

I don't know what the hell you are talking about....

I'll try and be civil. The above was in regard to Dunleavy speaking up and supporting a guy who he played one game for. He's a coach's kid. So is Hinrich. So is McDermott. Dunleavy and Hinrich are on the last legs of their careers and I merely made a kind of a joke about wanting to coach themselves when they finish their careers.

I just thought Dunleavy's comment was pretty ridiculous. He certainly has a right to say anything that he wants to but, to me, he has very little credibility since he is a one-dimensional player who has added very little positively to the Bulls win-lost column. He is just another front office mistake and a waste of money.

 

[The Hawk]

hes not great in late game situations it doesn't seem but that can improve. plus he doesn't seem to have much of a voice either....i'll say so far hes been c- or d this season....hes not been very good

but i still back him as coach. i think he has the right ideas and im willing to give him ample time to get his footing and prove himself but if there is no huge improvement by year 3, i'd call him a bust

Trouble is that if he, Paxson and Gar are still in Chicago running the Bulls they are going to be a lottery team for three years. Butler, Gibson, Gasol, Noah, are all pissed off and they are four of the seven best players arguably that they have(I'll concede Noah because of his injury). The rest of these guys supposedly supporting Bulls management are either vastly over-paid(Rose) or just dead, untalented weight.