Taj Gibson has public exchange with Thibodeau

Discussion in 'Chicago Bulls' started by such sweet thunder, Dec 13, 2014.

  1. such sweet thunder

    such sweet thunder Member Staff Member Moderator

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    Thonus has posted an interesting article about a war of words between Thibs and Gibson:

    Most of the posters at RealGM seem to think this was a not-so-subtle dig at Gasol and that Thibs is dangerously close to wearing out his welcome. From what I see on the court, though, I wouldn't be surprised if Gibson's comments are more general. I see him being taken out of position a lot on defense by Mirotic, and to a lesser extent, Brooks.

    My broader take away is that while I understand Gibson's frustration, I feel like Thibodeau is right. The Bulls in years past could only play one way, at one pace. The team had to slow things down and grind, because the roster simply could not score. This years' team has a ton of talent, can play a hundred different ways, and it's going to take a long time to for this roster to come together. I feel like Lebron James is fully cognizant of this stuff in the way he talks about Cleveland, and getting the Cleveland roster to play together should be easier than the Bulls roster. It's going to be a while before we actually see what this roster is capable of.
     
  2. Denny Crane

    Denny Crane It's not even loaded! Staff Member Administrator

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    Taj needs a change of scenery or something. I don't blame him because he's been jerked around a bit. Face of the team (players) in the Melo meetings, told he was going to start and then moved to the bench, and now Mitotic looks ready to take all the minutes he can.

    I do sense a sort of defeated demeanor in Thibs. It's like he's being told how to coach and that's an outright insult. He seems resigned to the fact he's stuck in his contract and his only recourse is to speak up when he's interviewed.

    Stuff like calling out Rose has seemed to light a fire under him. Without doing that, Rose seemed to be hiding behind the skirts of the nurses (medical staff). Rose may have been setting the tone for the team as several players seem to have been able to play but held out of the lineup against Thibs' better judgment.

    Thibs hasn't seemed to trust McMorrison, but he's been playing Mirotic. He also seems to trust Captain Kirk for some odd reason. The guy has a PER under 10.

    I agree that the Bulls can win without the grit. They're scoring well over 100 a lot lately, and able to hang in with Dallas and Portland without slowing the game close to a grinding halt. The problem is that grit has been sold to the players via the hard sell.

    The problem for Taj is that Gasol is one of the best players the Bulls have ever had, even at his age and current ability. He's certainly the best PF we have by a long shot, and he's the only guy we have who belongs at C when Noah can't play. Or even when he can.
     
  3. transplant

    transplant Global Moderator Staff Member Global Moderator

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    I don't think that Thibodeau is wearing out his welcome. He's probably just playing the percentages. There's no one player on this team that can get Thibodeau fired. Already this season, Thibodeau has shown that he doesn't mind pissing off DRose, Noah or Gibson. While I say good for him, I also realize that the more veteran stars you piss off, the more likely you are to be a candidate for beheading.

    Thibodeau is about as coachy as a coach can get. If you need to fix a problem, you work at it as long and as hard as necessary to defeat the problem. That's just the way guys like Thibodeau are. Personally, I'd like to see everyone get off Thibodeau's back and just let him coach the f'in team. If you don't like the results, fire him next season.
     
  4. kukoc4ever

    kukoc4ever Let's win a ring! Staff Member Moderator

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    Thibs seems to be held in pretty high regard in the NBA. If the Bulls let him go, he'd get snapped up quite quickly and for big $$$.
     
  5. rosenthall

    rosenthall Well-Known Member

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    I wouldn't be surprised at all if teams are already getting ready to circle the wagons for Thibs' free agency.

    He's proven that he can consistently win with a beleaguered roster. He's had a publicized dispute with the front office, and the Bulls have a rep as a frugal organization that doesn't like to spend lavishly.

    I'd be surprised if he doesn't get a full deck Stan Van Gundy type offer from a team looking to become relevant again.
     

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