Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg is facing a pivotal season that will decide his future with the organization.
Fred Hoiberg knows what’s at stake for this upcoming season. He is entering his fourth year of his five year deal with the Chicago Bulls. This fourth season will determine his future with the Bulls.
In his first season coaching the Bulls, Fred finished with a record of 42-40. In his second season, he finished with a record of 41-41, and last season he finished with a record of 27-55.
Fred’s first two seasons coaching the Bulls didn’t go as planned, and the Bulls decided to make some changes in the summer of 2017. The Bulls front office was getting sick and tired of being mediocre, and that’s when they decided to trade their franchise player in Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In return the Bulls got Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine, and the seventh overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft. With that pick, the Bulls drafted Lauri Markkanen. The Bulls have said all along that those three players helped them jump start the rebuild.
Heading into year one of the rebuild, the expectation from the front office was for the players to play hard every game. The Bulls started last season losing 20 of their first 23 games.
It was a very weird season because they never really had the chance to see how the young core plays together. When LaVine came back, Dunn got hurt the next game. Late in the season, the Bulls played their young guys because they wanted to get the highest pick that they can for the 2018 NBA draft.
It’s a make it or break it year for Fred Hoiberg
Coming into this season the Chicago Bulls don’t really know what they have in Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn. Lauri Markkanen did better then the Bulls thought he could’ve done, and they think he has the potential of being a superstar in this league. But all eyes this season should be on Fred Hoiberg.
Fred has to show the organization that he can take that next step with this team. If the Bulls start the season how they started last season, then I have no doubt in my mind that they will fire Hoiberg. This is going to be year two of the rebuild, and the expectation is to win more games, and to find out what the identity of this team is.
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The front office is evaluating the players, but they are also evaluating the coaching staff. Everyone’s job is on the line this season. When the 2018-2019 season ends, the Bulls should know what kind of talent they have on this roster. The Bulls should also have an answer about the future of Fred Hoiberg. One thing for sure, the Bulls will be watching everything that Fred Hoiberg does this season.