Nas wrote:
long time guy wrote:
I don't really believe that Thibs is a championship level coach. Championship level coaches make adjustments whether it's in personnel or strategy. Sometimes both. He doesn't.
For all of the talk about meddling and leaks. He has leaked things. Everyone knew about his displeasure regarding the Deng trade. Paxson was right to trade Deng in hindsight.
Sam Smith stated earlier in the year that Thibs was not in favor of mid season acquisitions because he didn't like to work players into his system after the start of the season. That is huge and partially explains why the Bulls haven't made any mid season trades. That's an example of him meddling in personnel affairs.
There was no reason to trade Deng. It saved them about $2M in luxury tax savings but it took away their best offensive player. The Bulls had a losing record at that point and most people thought they would be a lottery team. Then the team rallied around Thibs "we have enough " mantra.
Sam Smith is the mouthpiece of the front office. The Bulls don't make trades because they don't know how to. They signed Augustine mid season and he was starting for the Bulls by the playoffs.
Thibs doesn't make adjustments? How did he win 65% of his games despite not having Rose for 53% of his games. Because of great talent? He had the offense run through Noah after they traded Deng. His best offensive players were Deng, Augustine and Nate Robinson before Gasol arrived. Most coaches wouldn't even make the playoffs let alone be a top seed. He coached to win based on what he had.
The Bulls got better after they traded Deng and Deng hasn't been good since the trade. He looked terrible in Cleveland. Not resigning him allowed the Bulls to have money for Gasol.
This criticism of Paxson is simply flawed. The Bulls have a solid roster. Everyone knows it.
Thibs doesn't make adjustments. He had no answers for Kidd's trap of the screen and roll.
He kept running that same dribble hand off with Noah even though everyone could see that Cleveland wasn't going to guard Noah. His best play often was Noah standing around with his back to the basket from the top of the key. He was always looking desperate for someone to pass to. Shot clock winding down each and every time. No one was ever guarding him because he couldn't make a play.
His answer for stopping JR and Shumpert was to place the slow footed Dunleavy on them. From the start of the series you could see that Shumpert was licking his chops at the prospect of being guarded by Dunleavy. It didn't change once JR checked in a few games later. They lit his ass up every game.
Played Hinrich 25 min. a game during the season. That's a crime in of itself. It's even more criminal once you consider that Snell is a much better player at this point.
The Bulls have played the same slow paced style regardless of the offensive personnel. If you look at the Bulls starting five and match them up against Golden State it's really not much difference. GS has better shooters but Gasol is better than anyone on GS frontline. So is a healthy Noah. I'm really taken aback by this notion that the Bulls don't have talent.
Steve Smith and Chris Webber among others have taken Thibs to task for some of his coaching decisions. They also have lauded some of the younger players on the team. These are players that Thibs refuses to play. Are they Bulls mouthpieces or are they guys that know the game and know talent.
His inability to make adjustments goes back to the beginning. His first year in the playoffs he continuously ran Korver out there even though it was obvious that he was an offensive and defensive liability. It became painful to watch by the time it got to Miami. He couldn't guard anyone and could not get a shot off. Reggie Miller stated that this wasn't his series to play. Did Thibs sit him? nope. I overlooked it because Thibs was a rookie coach. Five yrs later he was still displaying the same stubbornness.
While you are talking about how most coaches wouldn't have made the playoffs with last yrs talent both Stephens and Kidd just did that with far worst talent.
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The Hawk wrote:
This is going to reach a head pretty soon.