Bulls Likely To Part Ways With Tom Thibodeau This Offseason
Tom Thibodeau has implemented a culture of competitiveness, toughness, and defense in his tenure as the Chicago Bulls head coach. He helped to bring back the ora of championship expectations to Chicago with his system and leadership. He’s endured consistent hardships of injury to his 2011 MVP Derrick Rose and has seen his team take on many different forms, most recently when Pau Gasol was signed as a free agent before this season.
Thibodeau has done great things to help rekindle this Bulls franchise. But could his run be coming to an end?
From Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com, via the Waddle and Silvy Show:
.@NickFriedell says as it stands now, there’s a 90-95% chance that Thibs is either fired or traded this offseason. #Bulls
— Silvy (@WaddleandSilvy) March 2, 2015
It was reported recently that Thibodeau’s relationship with Bulls management is “beyond repair”. Thibs has been popularly criticized for even being too stern — holding long practices and drilling his players with unreasonable minutes. Derrick Rose has been consistent in defending his head coach, but with this team assumedly reaching a whole new transition phase, it definitely feels like this could be it for Thibodeau in Chicago.
It could be that this is the best thing for both sides at this point. Chicago is far from out of contention this season, but the latest injuries to Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler are certainly concerning in this last stretch before the postseason. If this season is to end with anything short of a Finals appearance then the Bulls and Thibodeau ought to rid themselves of each other and start fresh.
According to Friedell, the Bulls are currently set on making that next transition.
