: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports
Sometimes when I write articles that I intend to blast players or coaches, I give out a Pippen Ain’t Easy sensitivity warning. This article will be one of those times so here goes…To all Bulls fans who are so fanatical about their team that this article will anger you in any way or mess up your day, leave this page now. Wait a second. Okay, now we can proceed. Since the Bulls were eliminated from the playoffs unceremoniously by the Washington Wizards in five games, the rumors have come out in full force. Rumors of Carmelo Anthony and all of the scenarios that could bring him to Chicago. The Legion of Booz have been hard at work trying to see HOW Carlos Boozer will be sent out-of-town either by amnesty or trade (Think amnesty Pippen Peoples! Think amnesty!) Will Nikola Mirotic finally come across the pond to play in the NBA (My guess…NOPE!) Well one of the Pippen Peoples got on the line and let me in on some information that the Los Angeles Lakers wants permission to talk to Tom Thibodeau. Word around the campfire is that Kobe Bryant wants him in L.A. after Mike D’Antoni resigned thinking that he should have a guaranteed two years to coach after the Lakers had the worst season in team history. Like not letting him come back next year wasn’t a blessing. What a country! Being rich has its rewards doesn’t it?
Right now, I don’t think that Tom Thibodeau would do any good for either squad right now. From the loss in the regular season finale to the Charlotte Bobcats to the playoff loss to the Washington Wizards, I formed an opinion about Thibodeau. This guy can’t coach! Now to everyone who is getting steamed who didn’t listen to the sensitivity warning in the first paragraph, well the comments section is down at the bottom. But it is true. The Bulls were beaten by a better team. Yes. We all know that Nene went nuts on Noah (Breaking News as of this writing Joakim Noah has surgery on his knee, out 8-12 weeks.) We all know that a YMCA six-year-old little league team could’ve figured out the Bulls offensive scheme if you want to give them the credit of even having one. Who’s at fault here?
Tom Thibodeau, without question.
Tom Thibodeau caught my ire right after the Charlotte Bobcats game. I wrote a piece under the Legion of Booz franchise called “There’s a ThiboBEEF going on.” I know anything that has Boozer attached to it will bring controversy but it pointed out how stubborn Thibodeau is in his thinking and will not adjust to situations that could help the Bulls short and long-term. In the Charlotte game, Carlos Boozer was playing very well. Look the Carlos Boozer and Tom Thibodeau relationship needs to end and will this summer. If he comes back, trust me the Bulls don’t care. But the Bulls stopped scoring and Boozer could have made a difference in THIS game. Instead the Bulls lose the game and the third seed. My way of thinking is do you want to win or not? Thibodeau wants to win his way, no matter if it hurts the team or not.
In the playoffs, Thibodeau was HORRIBLE! Everybody had issues with his substitution patterns. The Chicago Bulls spent the entire first round falling on their faces coming out the gate in the first quarter. He never made an adjustment. I wouldn’t have cared if he’d started Taj Gibson over Carlos Boozer! Just do something! As for the bench, really the Bulls could have signed myself and my three sons because if he wasn’t going to play any of those players, at least the Agers family could have had a paid family vacation out of it. The Bulls players played with no energy in Game five. Do you know why Pippen Peoples? The players HAD NO ENERGY in Game five. I think the Chicago Bulls violated every labor law in Illinois the way Thibodeau ran Joakim Noah, Jimmy Butler and the rest of the team into the ground. With that being said…
The Lakers want this guy?
First off Kobe Bryant tends to make strange requests when he’s frustrated. Mike D’Antoni coming to the Staples Center breathing every day tends to do that to people apparently. Remember the YouTube rant that he had when the Lakers refused to trade Andrew Bynum away for Jason Kidd? Yeah, I know when you think about Bynum now he looks like a genius, but at that time he was an up and coming player that cared. Instead of listening to Bryant, the Lakers stay the course and win two more titles.
Kobe has no business even wanting to deal with this guy after the myriad of leg injuries in the last couple of seasons. I can just see Thibodeau thinking he can run Kobe Bryant just like he does Jimmy Butler. Even better, if you thought D’Antoni’s offense had no structure, he’s in for a real treat with this guy. How about Pau Gasol? Hey Pau, with your passing ability we can put you at the top of the key and initiate the offense like Joakim Noah used to do. Isn’t that a great idea? Oh that’s right, D’Antoni put you there too. I got a question for the both of you. How do you feel playing 35-40 minutes a game? For 82 games? Plus playoffs?
Well there is a good thing that could come out of the Lakers getting Thibodeau. You see the Lakers only have three players under contract. All the Lakers need to do sign three more players because Thibodeau refuses to use his bench anyway. Save the money Lakers! Save that money!
Look Pippen Peoples, Thibodeau is not going anywhere. Much to my chagrin. He’s under contract. The only way that he would possibly go to the Lakers is trading him for a first round pick via Doc Rivers style. I really don’t see that happening for two reasons. One, the Bulls really don’t have anyone to replace him under the circumstances that Thibodeau coaches under…all circumstances. Two, he’s no Doc Rivers. Far from it. Hopefully, the Bulls will hire an offensive coach that will implement a system that will not shave five years off of players careers from overwork. If you’re mad about this article, remember Noah out 8-12 weeks with a knee injury that has hobbled him since the All-Star break.