Scott Skiles Fired

[Barkeep49]

According to WGN Radio here in Chicago Skiles is out. I am just amazed that Paxson turned on Skiles so quickly.

[Young Drachma]

I think pretty clear that he's the problem there. Those players aren't responding to his hard-ass style anymore.

[Anthony]

i thought he was doing a very decent job. i hope a miracle happens and Isaiah Thomas hires him to coach the Knicks.

[korme]

OMG he better return all his Bulls gifts!!1

[rjolley]

I think he's a good coach but I agree, his style seems to work well for a season or two, but then the players grow tired of it and stop responding.

With his style, he'd probably make a better college coach.

Any news on who may replace him?

[bhlloy]

Honestly, I think the Kobe thing absolutely killed the Bulls. By all accounts Deng was on the verge of being a very good player, but he's fragile and it destroyed his confidence. It also killed a lot of the chemistry they had the previous year.

I don't think Skiles is a great coach, but you can't spend the first month of a season with your entire (young) roster being worried about whether they are about to be traded, and the entire country poring over their weaknesses.

The way the Bulls front office handled the Kobe thing was horrible. The Lakers never changed what they wanted in return, they either needed to put up or shut up.

[Neon_Chaos]

Kobe Bryant: destroying teams on and off the court since 1996.

Man, he's so damn good.

[watravaler]

He'd be the best coach in college basketball...

Nothing but respect for what he did in Chicago, took some extremely young Bulls teams and got them to play hard-core defense. The players may not like him, but they are all better players because of him.

As for the current Bulls, Ben Wallace should have sat out the first two months of the season. He messed up his ankle pretty bad in the last pre-season game, and I guess nobody in the Bulls org had the balls to tell him to sit. He is obviously limping around on the court quite a bit.

Ben Gordon is one dimensional, and appears to be a poor defender.

Kirk Hinrich, while excellent of the defensive end, is more of a SG, than a PG.

Luol Deng will be fine, I'm unsure about Tyrus Thomas and Noah, well not really, Noah has bust written all over him. Aaron Gray was a pretty sweet find in the second round.

I hope Paxson can think outside of the box and hire a coach who can create a system for today's NBA. The superstar will have to be the system, and some 50 year old re-tread will not get it done...

[st.cronin]

John Paxson is a dick, firing somebody on Christmas Eve? This might be the worst sports story I've ever heard.

[molson]

John Paxson is a dick, firing somebody on Christmas Eve? This might be the worst sports story I've ever heard.

It's a tough call, same with real-life jobs.

If you decide to fire, do you let the guy get on with his life as soon as possible, or do you keep him on as a lame duck for sentimental reasons?

My company wanted to fire someone when they came back from maternity leave on 1/2 (ya, that's sounds heartless, but it was deserved here). But that doesn't really help her, it just delays her job search. So they did the deed 12/20. I don't think they "ruined" her Christmas, they let her plan ahead for her future. It would have sucked if she ran up credit cards based on the expectation of a future salary that the company knew wasn't in the cards anymore.

[st.cronin]

12/20 is not Christmas Eve. They couldn't have waited 2 days?

[Eaglesfan27]

John Paxson is a dick, firing somebody on Christmas Eve? This might be the worst sports story I've ever heard.

I'd agree if fired coaches didn't get their guaranteed salary. Since they do, I don't think it is that bad.

[Sgran]

I'm waiting for Sam Smith's take.

Skiles is a multi-millionaire. who gives a shit what day he was fired on.

[st.cronin]

Its not about money, that has nothing to do with why I think its such a low move.

[duckman]

"The fact that it's Christmas Eve is neither here nor there," Skiles told the Tribune. "The timing doesn't bother me. I'm not destitute."

hxxp://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3167808

[Eaglesfan27]

Its not about money, that has nothing to do with why I think its such a low move.

If they didn't play on the 26th, I'd agree that it was a low move. However, the NBA isn't closed for Christmas and his (former) team is much too talented to be 9-16.

[molson]

It's a sport that plays games on Christmas, that's open for business on Christmas. I don't see firing someone on Christmas Eve a big deal. Money is a factor, because the guy's quality of life is in no way threatened by this move. So I highly doubt his Christmas is negatively effected.

[Young Drachma]

Exactly. If anything, it means it's one less day he's got to go to work. I doubt he's crying much and he had to know the writing was on the wall.

[davidlando1]

The Bulls have quite a history on Christmas eve. 4 years ago on Christmas eve, Tim Floyd "resigned". Also in the early 80's, they released Artis Gilmore.

[stevew]

Hopefully Mike Brown gets fired tomorrow after the Cavs lose by 35.

Skiles will be an amazing coach if he decides to go to college....his style really isn't a good fit for the Pro game.

[stevew]

dola,

Fire Paxson and his fuckhead brother while they are at it.

[stevew]

tri-dola

Jeff Van Gundy would be my obvious choice to fill the bench in Chicago. I think he could do well with the talent they have. Or maybe Hubie Brown, although he's probably just too old for the tear anymore.

[miami_fan]

Hopefully Mike Brown gets fired tomorrow after the Cavs lose by 35.


If the Cavs don't win by 35 tomorrow, then he deserves to be fired.

[miami_fan]

tri-dola

Jeff Van Gundy would be my obvious choice to fill the bench in Chicago. I think he could do well with the talent they have. Or maybe Hubie Brown, although he's probably just too old for the tear anymore.

If the Bulls can't play for Skiles, they definitely can't play for Jeff Van Gundy. The Bulls have been living off of their perimeter game for too long. Time for the guys in the paint to contribute at the offensive end of the floor.

[Subby]

This might be the worst sports story I've ever heard.
Really? Which sports do you follow, exactly? :D

[Coffee Warlord]

If the Bulls can't play for Skiles, they definitely can't play for Jeff Van Gundy. The Bulls have been living off of their perimeter game for too long. Time for the guys in the paint to contribute at the offensive end of the floor.

Exactly who on the roster, aside from Aaron Gray, is capable of scoring anything in the paint for the Bulls?

[miami_fan]

Exactly who on the roster, aside from Aaron Gray, is capable of scoring anything in the paint for the Bulls?

Isn't that what Tyus Thomas was drafted for? To be the guy who could run the court with the guards and and get dunks on the break?

[Sgran]

Sam Smith must have had this article saved on his laptop: hxxp://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/cs-071224samsmithscottskileschicagobullsfired,1,7940197.column?coll=cs-home-headlines

[Sgran]

The way the NBA works is to alernate between hard-ass coach and player's coach, so there's I doubt they'll bring in Jeff Van Gundy. Smith thinks they'll hand the job to Jim Boylan for the rest of the season, although Pete Meyers will fill in for the next game. I don't really know what they'll do. I don't see how a new coach can get them to start making their jumpers. Probably their only hope is for Steve Kerr to send them Amare like McHale sent Garnett to Boston.

[Sgran]

Isn't that what Tyus Thomas was drafted for? To be the guy who could run the court with the guards and and get dunks on the break?

Which is why Skiles was right to get pissed off that Tyrus wasn't running out on the break. I was mildly in the Aldridge camp, but I didn't watch much college hoops so I had a very weak opinion. At the time, I believe the thinking was to emulate the Pistons' ball movement, shoot off screens attack. The problem was that the Bulls had no Rasheed Wallace and they misread Ben's role as a solid veteran when really he was a head-case.

[Coffee Warlord]

Isn't that what Tyus Thomas was drafted for? To be the guy who could run the court with the guards and and get dunks on the break?

Getting dunks on the break, and being there for quick lobs/drunks != regular paint threat.

Tyrus has the ability to be consistently very, very good. He has thus far not put in the work required to become very, very good. He'll not be a post paint scorer in the traditional sense, though, ever. If he works, and Aaron Gray develops, those two on the court together could be a pretty fair combo.

[weegeebored]

This seems like a CYA move to me. It's an underachieving (or just plain bad, depending on one's perspective) team that Paxson put together. So what's he going to do, fire himself? He simply needs to be let go; he's just a bad GM. Let's take a brief look at a history of his...uh..."clever" moves, shall we? (A more complete one can be found on nba.com/bulls.)

Signs Kirk Heinrich, a decent but by no means stellar player, to a 5-year $47.5M extension. Huh? For a point guard that can't handle the rock, can't make a clutch shot/free throw, is not a great jump shooter (.411 career FG%), and is pretty doggone slow. He saw Heinrich as a version of himself which, if he would remember correctly, WAS A ROLE PLAYER!! Nice work if you can get it. Congrats Kirk! In most countries stealing is illegal.

In 2004, after taking a "point" guard with the Bulls' 1st pick in the 2003 draft, Paxson decides that he liked that move so much he drafted another hybrid guard in Ben Gordon. Only he's smaller, can't play defense, and also can't handle the rock (A/T barely above 1). For a while it looked like this might work out as Gordon could score points in the clutch. Then Skiles has this great plan to let Gordon go one-on-one, thinking that he could create his own shot when REPEATEDLY the Bulls would not get a shot off in waning minutes of the half/game because...?? Any moron can see that Gordon cannot create his own shot. Baby Jordan my ass.

Signs FA Ben Wallace to a 4-year, $60M deal. An aging center whose heart and friends are still in Detroit -- and clearly left them for more dough. With friends like that who needs enemies? So, 60 mil for a guy who can't score, has a bad attitude, takes plays off, can't rebound, and doesn't play defense anymore. Nice move, Pax! We needed an inside scorer, not the reincarnation of Will Purdue.

Still in desparate need of an inside scorer, Paxson in 2006 drafts LaMarcus Aldridge (yea) and then proceeds to trade him for the athletic, but not terribly basketball-skilled Tyrus Thomas (boo). Thomas is awfully talented, but clearly is not mentally prepared nor disciplined enough to be an NBA starter. He's a pouter and from the looks of him doesn't want to be taught. I mean, why is he always trying to lead the fast break? (Ok, so he's the best dribbler on the team but he's not smart/savvy enough to make the right pass.) So another piece to the puzzle for Pax. Trouble is, it's not the same puzzle. (Oh I forgot. We also got Viktor Khryapa in the Thomas deal. That makes me feel soooo much better.)

On the plus side he did get rid of that NBA lump known as Eddy Curry. He got traded to the Knicks with the only GM in the league worse than Paxson -- Isaiah. (How is he still involved in the NBA?) But what'd we get? Tim Thomas and Michael Sweetney. :rolleyes:

Then there's Thabo Sefolosha, Jameson (James-on, how stupid) Curry, and let's not forget the immortal Adrian Griffin (twice, I believe).

Oh, and now because Pax overrated the value of his players so incredibly much (he didn't want to break up his "core" :(), they are worth much less now in trade than they were early in the season. With the firing of Skiles, the indecision of who their interim coach is, and no plan to hire a coach long-term, Paxson has put the Bulls right back to the place they were after Jordan left.

Good God, Paxson sucks.

[stevew]

Our Pax was still dumber than your Pax.

-Cavs Fan

[weegeebored]

dola

I forgot to add this year's outstanding draft pick of Joakim Noah, another renowned big man who can score inside. :confused:

[Sgran]

You forgot to mention letting Tyson chandler go for a bag of balls.

[weegeebored]

I got tired of typing. :)

[miami_fan]

Which is why Skiles was right to get pissed off that Tyrus wasn't running out on the break. I was mildly in the Aldridge camp, but I didn't watch much college hoops so I had a very weak opinion. At the time, I believe the thinking was to emulate the Pistons' ball movement, shoot off screens attack. The problem was that the Bulls had no Rasheed Wallace and they misread Ben's role as a solid veteran when really he was a head-case.

I thought the idea was more of an up and down game a la Phoenix or a Golden State than Detroit. Thomas's game as currently constructed works for that style. Yes he would struggle in the half court but he could develop a more traditional half court game as time went on. In the meantime, his athleticism and defensive work would help the team.