When Tom Thibodeau is officially let go from the Chicago Bulls it will surprise……no one. Seriously, everyone knows this is coming. Even in the inhabited caves of Tora Bora on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border they’re thinking that Tom Thibodeau is not returning to the Bulls.
Well, okay, they probably don’t follow the NBA much in remote, semi-civilized areas controlled by terrorists, but you get the idea. Thibodeau and GarPax don’t get along, it’s been well documented for years, so he’ll be shown the door soon.
In his postgame media comments, Derrick Rose himself alluded to the feud between Thibs and the front office. Rose also said that he wouldn’t mind having Thibodeau back next year, and that he’d like to have him back because he’s formed a solid bond with him.
When the Bulls and Thibs inevitably part ways, Iowa State head coach Fred Hoiberg is the favorite to be Thibodeau’s replacement, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein. Hoiberg has been rumored to Chicago for a very long time and was recently quoted as stating that his dream is to coach in the NBA.
Should that fall through, former Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin is the contingency plan.
Thibodeau, meanwhile, is reportedly being courted by the New Orleans Pelicans, who fired former head coach Monty Williams on Tuesday. Thibodeau and the Pelicans are said to have mutual interest, reports Stein. It’s also been reported that the Orlando Magic have interest in Thibs.
Thibodeau has two years left on his Bulls deal, so Chicago will be looking to get something in return. We could see a trade like we did with Doc Rivers. The Pelicans don’t have a 2015 first round pick (Omer Asik), and they can’t trade their 2016 first round unless they acquire another.
It’s a real bummer to see Tom Thibodeau go out like this, as he’s still one of the best coaches in the league. He won coach of the year in 2010-11; as he led the Bulls to the conference finals. In his other four years at the helm Chicago lost in the first round or the conference semifinals.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with Fox Sports Digital. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. He also appears regularly on numerous sports talk radio stations all across the country.
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