Despite an odd roster fit, Chicago Bulls management seemed to believe that their hastily-constructed team could contend among the Eastern Conference elites this season.
That has largely not happened with the Bulls sitting at 16-16 (the eighth seed in the East) in a position that corresponds with many preseason predictions. Chicago’s lack of shooting, above average defenders, depth have resulted in a mediocre team capable of winning or losing against any other team in the NBA.
Regardless of what most basketball minds thought about the team entering the season, the Bulls’ own expectations were high. That’s why, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein, head coach Fred Hoiberg could now be in danger of losing his job.
The latest chatter on the coaching grapevine, meanwhile, tells us that the toastiest seat on the NBA map at present belongs, rightly or wrongly, to the Chicago Bulls’ Fred Hoiberg.
The Bulls’ largely disappointing play in December, on the heels of a non-playoff season, has put Hoiberg under earlier-than-expected pressure, according to league sources.
If Hoiberg loses his job, it would be an incredibly hasty and unwarranted decision by the Bulls. He has constructed an average offense (17th in the league in offensive rating) despite having three high-usage players in Rajon Rondo, Dwyane Wade, and Jimmy Butler who no one would describe as good shooters. (Note: Butler has improved by a large amount this season, but was a woeful shooter before this MVP-level campaign.)
We still don’t know how good of a head coach Fred Hoiberg is because of the hands he has been dealt in his first two seasons. He was brought in as an offensive guru, however, and his work with this group has at least flashed some of that brilliance.
