An argument for Del Negro

I do not have a good enough basketball eye to be able to judge the ability of an NBA coach. I dont have enough knowledge of what plays they run, what defense they are running, what inbound plays they call(which cubsfan always criticizes). Basically, i dont have a good enough eye to be able to distinguish the difference between players not being skilled enough to execute plays, or the coach not being skilled enough to call/practice the right plays. And obviously many NBA GM's also can't because there have been hundreds of bad NBA coaches. So how can you Sexy Rexy, Cubsfan, or anybody really judge how good or bad Del Negro is?

All you are basing your opinions on is the word of so called NBA "experts". Experts have been wrong before, and they will continue to be wrong for many years to come. Del Negro took the Bulls to the playoffs with a crappy team that didnt even have Deng and almost knocked off the defensing champs. I would argue that Del Negro is no worse than an average coach. The fact that this bulls team has more than 7 wins this year is utterly amazing to me.

Nobody i know is skilled enough to judge the abilities of a basketball coach. The only legitimate reason to fire Del Negro is the negative perception of him that has spread throughout the NBA, such that free agents may shunt the Bulls because of Del Negro's perception. Perception is not always reality, but that may not matter to Wade and Bosh, hence Del Negro has to go.

Why Vinny Needs To Go Now

Vinny Del Negro needs to be fired now! Every day more and more reasons come out why he needs to be fired. There are many more reasons besides the fact that Vinny Del Negro is hurting the growth of this team . Vinny Del Negro is a first time coach at any level, and as we have found out over the past year and a half, he can’t coach. When Paxson hired him, it wasn’t because of him being a good coach or that he necessary even had the making of being a good coach. Paxson never directly said it, but if you listened to his reasons on why he hired Vinny and what he implied, it was because he thought Vinny Del Negro would be a good cheerleader. He thought Vinny would be good at brining everyone together and relate to the players well. He liked Vinny ideas to be a defense first minded team and his ideas for his coaching style. After coaching for a year in a half, the Bulls and Vinny have learned that his ideas are not possible, or at least not possible for Vinny to put into action.

The Bulls need to bring in a big star during the 2010 off season. No big star will want to come to Chicago and play for Vinny Del Negro. The Bulls need to bring in an experienced coach that players want to play for and that knows what he is doing to take us to the next level. Vinny Del Negro is not that person.

Over the past few weeks controversy has started to spread if Vinny will be fired. Then it recently came out that he has been fired and that the Bulls are just waiting to fine him until they find someone better. It is hard to hire a good coach in the middle of the season though. With rumors being circulated daily about the Bulls plans for their next coach, it is hard for the team to concentrate and play for Vinny when everyone knows it is only a matter of time before he is fired.

So the Bulls need to fire Vinny Del Negro and pick anyone to be the replacement. It doesn’t really matter who they pick if it is Bernie Bickerstaff, Pete Myers, or Gar Forman. I don’t think Bernie Bickerstaff or Pete Myers are good coaches or should be the coach for the long term, but they would be fine for the rest of the year. The Bulls should name one of them, or another assistant coach the interim manager and that this person will only be the coach until the end of the season. Then at that time the Bulls will have a thorough search for the next Bulls coach. This way they can move forward from the disaster Vinny Del Negro era and move forward.

Vinny Del Negro Stunting Growth Of The Chicago Bulls

Vinny Del Negro is hurting the Bulls by being their coach. This is why the Bulls need to fire Del Negro now and pick anyone else for the time being. Del Negro is a bad coach that is hurting the growth of this team. Last off season the Bulls decided not to re-sign Ben Gordon. By doing so they decided this would be a growing year until the 2010 free agent class. I agreed with this move. We took a few steps back this year with loosing Ben Gordon. With keeping him it would have meant we could make no other big moves and we went as far as we could have with Ben Gordon and the rest of the team the last few seasons making the playoffs and getting bounced in the first round. To go forward we need our young guys of Derrick Rose, Ta Gibson, James Johnson, Tryus Thomas, Joakim Noah, to continue to develop. Them with a super star the Bulls could be a good team. The problem is that James Johnson isn’t playing in this rebuilding year because Vinny is playing for his job. We need a coach who doesn’t care about winning this season and his job, but a coach who cares about us getting ready for the future. We also need Derrick Rose to mature into a better point guard which isn’t happening with Del Negro at the help. Lets hope a change comes sooner than later.

Smells Like Mascot (Color Version)

Sexy Rexy here. In the spirit of stealing comics from the very funny Carl Skanberg, author of the Smells Like Mascot blog (seen right), here's my favorite recent post.

Does Vinny Get Fired Before, After, Or On Christmas?

Let's just be frank, Vinny Del Negro is getting canned sooner or later. There is no way Lebron, Wade, Bosh, or even Kwame Brown will want to sign with the Bulls next off-season if Vinny is running the show. 1ust like every other non-football sport, the coach doesnt do jack squate in the NBA. Just look at Doc Rivers, who magically went from coaching the leagues worst record to the champions the very next year. And by magic I mean trading for Garnett and Ray Allen. Or how about Lawrence Frank, who took the Nets to the finals twice with Kidd and Carter. Now he has the distinction of beginning an NBA season loosing 18 straight games with Josh Boone and Trenton Hassell.

I believe Jerry Reinsdorf will open up the vault after the season and finally bring superstars back to the windy city. The problem is that so many teams have money to spend next offseason such that the Bulls organization will have to offer free agents something more enticing than money. Based on the list of free agents and payroll projections on hoops hype, I see several obstacles in the way of our salvation.

1) As many as 15 teams have payroll space next summer to sign one and at least 7 teams who have payroll to sign 2 superstars. The Bulls are by no means the only team that has spent the last 3 years preparing for the upcoming free agent class. The Bulls have 44 million guaranteed for next year assuming they offer Tyrus Thomas the 6 million qualifying offer which I believe they will do. Indications are that the bulls are willing to go up to the 80 million dollar range, just 10 million above this years total, allocating just enough money to sign 2 stud free agents. In the NBA all you need is 2 superstars to make you a contender. You put an all-star shooting guard and forward next to Derrek Rose and you are in the Finals next year.

The biggest competition for the Bulls will be the Miami Heat. They have done the impossible. Assuming Dwayne Wade opts out for free agency, the Heat will only have 8 million dollars guaranteed to Beasley, Cook, and Chalmeres. Meaning they can sign Wade for 25 million and have cap space for 2 more max players. Boozer or Bosh will surely end up in Miami. The Knicks, Clippers, Nets, Pistons, Cavaliers, T-wolves, Thunder, Blazers, and Rockets all potentially have the money to lure away the great free agents.

2. The best thing about being an NBA player, is living the lifestyle of an NBA player. If you thought Tiger Woods had it good, just know that all his skanks are Dwight Howard's sloppy seconds. Who wouldnt want to go to Miami? I basically had my bags packed to go to med school in Miami even though i would never have time to see the sun or Miami beach. Then there is New York. The only thing that separates the Bulls and the Knicks is Derrick Rose. Is that enough to entice Wade to chose Chicago over New York? I'm not so sure. Given the past 10 year post Jordan history, players are not lining up to come to the United Center. Some cities dont even have income tax, something the state of Illinois cannot claim.

3. Some players even want to have a chance to win. Despite the Bulls performance in the playoffs last year against the Celtics, it is difficult to project the current roster as a perennial contender. They have lost 10-11. Have the 3rd worst scoring offense, point differential, and shooting percentage in the NBA. The teams looks as listless as they did in the last weeks of the Scot Skiles era. And most importantly Derrick Rose has yet to make the 2nd year jump that I predicted earlier. Given the quality of his teammates and coaching staff it shouldnt be that big a surprise. Though his medium range jumper should be automatic by now.

The Bulls are required to make some serious organizational changes if they intend on landing any free agents. Regardless if Vinny is or isnt a good coach, his reputation around the league is overly negative. Something has to be done about the United Center. As exciting as it gets during the Blackhawks games, it's as equally dull during the Bulls games. I went to the season opener this season and was actually upgraded to lower level seats because there were so many empty seats. The Bulls need to become cool again and maybe the city can land a Wade or Lebron. A Bosh or a Staudemine. And dont overlook Joe Johnson who is the best passing shooting guard not named Lebron. Believe me, he would be worth the money.

A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009………. Kirk Hinrich

Kirk Hinrich was drafted in 2003 by the Chicago Bulls with the 7th pick overall. He went in possibly one of the best draft classes ever with Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade being drafted ahead of him. After him several good players went including T. J. Ford, Mickaël Piétrus, Luke Ridnour, David West, Boris Diaw, and Josh Howard. Josh Howard and David West are bigger guys that the Bulls might have been attracted to if they weren’t in a market for a point guard. A few months before the draft the Bulls second overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft Jay Wiilliams, was injured in a motorcycle accident. Jay Wiilliams was supposed to be our point guard of the future, but after his accident where they didn’t know if he would ever walk again, they drafted Kirk Hinrich. Jay Wiilliams can walk now and tried to make a comeback in 2006 and was signed by the New Jersey Nets, but released before contracts are guaranteed. Back to Kirk Hinrich……..

I remember the pre-season for the 2003-2004 season. I was watching a game and remember this little white guy running up and down the court who looked winded and 2 steps behind everyone else. When I found out that he was Kirk Hinrich, our first round pick who was drafted 7th overall. Later I found out he had a viral infection that took him months to recover from. After the season started and he recovered from the viral infection he looked much better. He solidified his position as the starting point guard pretty quickly and was named to the NBA's 2004 All-Rookie first team. He held the distinction for being the only rookie during that season to record a triple-double, with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists versus the Golden State Warriors on February 28, 2004. Hinrich has gone on to have a good career with the Bulls. He has career averages of 13.9 points per game, 6.1 assists per game, 3.4 rebounds per game, and 1.3 steals per game.

In the 2006-2007 season Hinrich averaged 16.6 PPG, 6.3 APG, and looked to be the Bulls point guard of the future and one of the cornerstones to build around. Then Hinrich took a step back during the 2007-2008 season and the Bulls drafted a true dynamic point guard in Derrick Rose. This pushed Hinrich to the bench which he accepted and the captain of the team never complained. Hinrich got injured last year, but when he came back he gave the team a big lift. His assist were down at a career low, but hopefully him and Rose can learn to play together and Hinrich and Rose could be a deadly combination. This is because both handle the ball very well and they both can shoot. Last season with the Bulls pushing to make a playoff run Rose coach Vinny Del Negro played Rose a lot playing him most of the game. Because of this at times Rose did look tired. This is why the Bulls need to play Hinrich more backing up Rose because he is more than capable. This way Rose will stay fresh and be ready when we need him. Many people seem to think Hinrich is a back-up and bench player, but I think he is still very good and should be a starter on most teams in the NBA.

A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009……….Bob Ociepka

Bob Ociepka is one of the Chicago Bulls assistant coaches on Vinny Del Negro’s coaching staff. Bob Ociepka was born in Chicago, Illinois and went to school at Quincy College. He started his coaching career at the high school level for York High School in Elmhurst, IL. While he coached there for four years during the 1980’s he served as a part-time volunteer scout for the Detroit Pistons. His first assistant coaching job in the NBA was for the Indiana Pacers in 1989. Then he bounced around as an assistant coach for several teams. He served as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Clippers from 1993 to 1996, the Philadelphia 76ers from 1996 to 1997, the Detroit Pistons from 1998 to 1999 and again from 2001 to 2003, the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1999 to 2001, the Milwaukee Bucks from 2003 to 2006, and the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2007 to 2008. Then he joined the Bulls coaching staff after learning under many coaches.

He was hired along with Bernie Bickerstaff and Del Harris before last season to provide experience for Vinny Del Negro and help teach him. Bernie Bickerstaff and Del Harris (now retired) each had close to 30 years of NBA experience so Bob Ociepka and his experience went under the radar last year. Now with Del Harris retired, Ociepka would figure to be the second go to man for Vinny Del Negro behind Bernie Bickerstaff. I think many Bulls fans knew a lot about the Bulls coaching staff last season from new head coach Vinny Del Negro, experienced former NBA coaches in Bernie Bickerstaff and Del Harris, but I don’t think many people knew about Bob Ociepka. I barley ever heard him mentioned! Let’s hope he sticks around in Chicago for a while!

A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009.......Bernie Bickerstaff

This will be Bernie Bickerstaff’s second season as an assist coach for the Chicago Bulls. Last year the Bulls had two veteran assist coaches on the staff in Del Harris and Bernie Bickerstaff. This past off season Del Harris retired so Bernie Bickerstaff will be the most experienced assistant coach so I assume he will be the lead assist like we used to have under Scott Skiles with Jim Boylan.

Last season Vinny Del Negro made it clear he has to learn a lot about coach. You could see Bernie Bickerstaff and Del Harris in the middles of huddles and them taking players aside after plays during games. This season without Del Harris it will be up to Bernie Bickerstaff and his 30 years of NBA experience to help lead the team. Bickerstaff has done it all in his 30 years in the NBA. Before he joined the Bulls in 2008 he was the Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Charlotte Bobcats and served as Head Coach & General Manager of the Bobcats from 2004 to 2007. Before his three year stint with the Charlotte Bobcatse he served 10 seasons as an NBA head coach for three different teams in Seattle, Denver, and Washington. While at Denver he was also president and general manager for seven seasons. He also spent 12 years as an assistant coach. In 1987 he won NBA Coach of the Year with the Seattle Supersonics. He has an NBA coaching record of 415-517 which is a .445 winning percentage. He ranks 33rd on the league’s all-time victories list. I am glad we have him on the coaching staff.

A Look at the Chicago Bulls 2009……….Vinny Del Negro

Vinny Del Negro is the head coach of the Chicago Bulls. Vinny Del Negro will be entering his second season after the surprising hire by Joh Paxson before last season. Paxson tried to hire Doug Collins and then Mike D'Antoni. After missing out on both of them he turned to hire Vinny Del Negro who had no prior coaching experience at any level. Del Negro worked as a radio commentator for the Phoenix Suns before being promoted to director of player personnel for the Suns in 2006. In 2007, the Suns promoted him to assistant general manager. The same off-season as the Bulls hired Del Negro the Suns were looking for a new head coach and did not consider Vinny Del Negro who was their assistant general manager. The Bulls brought in two veteran coaches in Bernie Bickerstaff and Del Harris to help Del Negro coach and teach him the ropes.

I wasn’t impressed by Del Negro last season. He was brought in here by Paxson because he thought that Del Negro would do a good job being a “cheerleader” and getting along with the players. Del Negro seemed to bump heads with a few players that we heard reports about throughout the season. As expected for a coach with no previous experience, Del Negro was not good at calling plays, running the offense, or getting the Bulls back to good defense like they used to play. Great defense under Scott Skiles is how the Bulls got to the playoffs for a few years. The Bulls did make it to the playoffs and did play better defense, but we need to see it for an entire year. The Bulls played well last year and did make it to the first round of the playoffs. I think that was because of the development of Derrick Rose, the clutch shooting of Ben Gordon, and the young players developing. I don’t think Del Negro is hurting the team, but he defiantly isn’t helping. I think an experiences coach who could help mentor Derrick Rose, teach the young guys how to play, and be better and calling plays would make a big impact on the Bulls. That is just my opinion. I think the Bulls will have a good year though.

Who should be doing opening tipoffs for the Bulls?

Drew Gooden has been doing the opening tipoff for the Bulls. This is because he was starting with Aaron Gray who can’t jump even though he happens to be 7”0. Gooden is out right now and the bulls are starting Noccioni in his spot. Nocioni can’t be the one doing the opening tippoff so their starting Jokaim Noah who is only starting because of the opening tipoff.

My question is where is Tryus Thomas? He just got back from an injury, but even before why wasn’t he doing opening tipoffs? Tryus Thomas is a great athlete and one of the best jumpers in the game, let alone on the bulls. Why hasn’t he been doing opening tipoffs from day one?

Tryus has been coming on strong lately by his two big games on December 13th and 16th where he scored 16 and 22 points respectively with 14 rebounds, 4 steals, and blocks in those two games. Then he was sidelined with a concussion and played five minutes in his first game back. In his last game he looked back to his form before the injury with 16 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. Thomas is very good on defense with rebounds, blocks, and steals; something the rest of the team is weak on so his presence should give the team a big boost.

With Thomas’s good play recently he should be getting the starting nod soon over Noah or Gray and then hopefully the light bulb will go off for Vinny Del Negro, Del Harris, and Bernie Bickerstaff to let him to the opening tip!