Thibodeau doesn’t believe in tanking, and neither should we
Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Thank you Tom Thibodeau for reassuring what I’ve been saying for so long. Tanking is not an option for his Chicago Bulls team. Do you really expect a coach like Thibodeau to buy into all the talks about the Bulls needing to tank this season?! If you do, then you obviously don’t know what type of coach he is. Due to all the injuries and the loss of Derrick Rose for the season, tanking should not even be considered as an option whether your a fan of the Bulls or any other professional sports team in the NBA. And for what? Possibly getting higher picks in the 2014 NBA draft. I don’t think so! And neither does Thibodeau:
"There’s all kinds of talk about that,” Thibodeau said before Friday’s game against theMilwaukee Bucks. “And, to me, as a coach, you put everything you have into each and every day. And that’s what I love about our team. There’s no quit in our team. We’re going to play to win. I think once you start doing those other things, you’re headed down a slippery slope.“I think you put forth your best effort each and every day. I think every game is winnable, and then you’re trying to build the right habits along the way. As we get guys back, I think we’re going to be fine. I have great belief in our team, and that’s the way you approach it. Some teams may not believe in it, but I also think [tanking] is risky. Everyone talks about the great player, but what happens to all the franchises that don’t get the great player? If you look at history, it’s not good.(via ESPN Chicago)"
Exacly! Tanking is risky business. It’s never a guaranteed situation where a team knows they will end up with a higher pick. Moving forward the key for the Bulls organization is patience (and hey, adding a few more solid scorers coming of the bench won’t hurt). I know most of us want things to happen “right now” for the Bulls, but obviously that’s just not how things panned out to be this season. And now just because some people aren’t getting their way the “tanking” option comes about. It’s like trying to win the lottery at least once in your lifetime (and I don’t know anyone who has ever won the lottery).
"There is some very good talent,” Thibodeau said. “When you think about it — the lottery — there’s a lot of luck involved. That’s how we got Derrick [Rose]. But, oftentimes, you might have the second pick, and it may not be that type of player. Whatever the circumstances are, I think it’s important not to skip any steps. You do the best you can, you try to win now and then whatever the circumstances are in the end, then you deal with it then. I know [general manager] Gar [Forman] and [executive vice president] John [Paxson], they’re out studying everybody. That’s what they do. They do that regardless of what the situation is, and that’s the way you have to approach it. For us and for our players, we have to concentrate on now, improvement and winning."
If your getting paid to play a professional sport, and I’m a fan watching, I better not see any kind of “losing on purpose”! Let’s really think about this… Would you like to see your team loose on purpose for the sake of a possible very “lucky” high pick in the draft? And if your an actual fan of the Bulls (there’s bandwagoners all over), shouldn’t you want to see your team win or at least try to hang in there with the players they have? Or maybe we’re starting to sift out the so called “ride or die” fans…