May 12, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau speaks to the media prior to game five of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
In addition to maintaining the identity of this team, the Bulls coaching staff would do themselves a favor if they continue to run a defensive scheme that patterns the one that Tom Thibodeau implemented successfully. Recent history shows that the Chicago Bulls can’t afford to completely renovate their offense at the cost of their defense.
In the last five seasons under Thibodeau, the Chicago Bulls never finished lower than ninth in the NBA in opponent points per game. In four of those five seasons, they finished in the top three. In that same time frame, the Bulls finished in the top ten in opponent field goal percentage every single season. During the 2010-2011 season they finished first in this category.
Before the 2014-15 season when they experienced a dramatic drop-off, the Chicago Bulls never ranked lower than fifth in the league in team defensive efficiency rating. Last season, they were 11th with a 101.5 rating in this category. Advanced statistics show a strong link between defensive efficiency rating and postseason success.
According to Sporting Charts, from 2002-12, nine out of the ten NBA Champions were in the top ten in defensive efficiency during the regular season. Eight of the ten were in the top five in this category.
The three most recent finals have yielded similar results. During their title run during the 2012-13 season, the Miami Heat won their second straight title after finishing seventh in the league in defensive efficiency during the regular season. The following season, the San Antonio Spurs ranked fourth in defensive efficiency during the regular season, and used their stellar defense to propel themselves to a title. Last season, the Golden State Warriors won the NBA Finals after finishing first in defensive efficiency during the regular season.
The key is balance. However, defensive efficiency is a better predictor of championship success than offensive efficiency at least as of late. From 2002-2012, only six out of the ten NBA champions were top ten in offensive efficiency (compare this to defensive efficiency, where nine out of ten teams were top-10 in this category during the regular season).
These trends suggest that Hoiberg should stick with the defensive schemes that Tom Thibodeau created. However, Hoiberg may cede control of his defense to one of his assistants. In his introductory news conference, Hoiberg said that his assistant coaches would take charge of constructing the defense.
"“I want to get a veteran assistant in here that can really help me through things [on defense], whether he’s been a head coach or around the game for a really long time, that’s going to be important with that hire.” CBSChicago.com (Cody Westerlund)"
On June 13, Yahoo! Sports reporter Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Chicago Bulls hired former San Antonio Spurs assistant Jim Boylen as their new associate head coach. According to Wojnarowski, the Bulls hired Boylen “to coordinate his defensive coverages.” Boylen has a defensive background and is largely responsible for the defensive success of the Spurs during his time as their assistant coach.
In his two season with San Antonio, the Spurs finished third in defensive efficiency rating in 2014-15 (title season for SAS) and fourth in 2013-14. In a 2-year stint with the Indiana Pacers between 2011-13, the Pacers finished 10th during the 2011-12 season and topped the league in this category the following season. In total, he has 17 years of NBA coaching experience and won three NBA championships throughout his NBA coaching career.
Obviously, he knows what he is doing, and was a good hire for the Chicago Bulls associate head coach position. However, a dramatic change in defensive philosophy could become counterproductive. The defensive principles that worked for the Spurs, Pacers and others may not apply to the unique construction of this Chicago Bulls team.
A dramatic change in their defensive philosophy creates the possibility of an adjustment period before the Bulls players can maximize their talents within this new system. The championship window in the NBA is short, and with Taj Gibson, Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol all reaching the end of their contracts within the next two seasons, the time for the Bulls to win big is now.
Next: Conclusion