The #TNTBulls streak lives on. Hooray!
Did you get that out of your system? Good. It’s just another meaningless win in a string of inexplicably lucky outcomes for an undeniably mediocre NBA team. The Splash Brothers became the Brick Brothers and the Warriors were playing their first game after losing superstar Kevin Durant and his 27.7 usage percentage to a knee injury. A team that usually scores a league-leading 117.5 points per game managed just 87, and don’t you dare give the Bulls defense all the credit for that.
Dwell on this win too long and you’ll lose sight of what actually matters with these Bulls.
Meanwhile, numerous players on Fred Hoiberg’s roster continue to express a similarly frustrating thought: nobody on this team knows what role their coach expects them to play on a nightly basis. That stems from poor communication.
Did you miss the joke? It’s okay if you did, it’s subtle.
Communication Is Key
When the Bulls front office trio of chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, GM Gar Forman and VP John Paxson unceremoniously fired Tom Thibodeau in the spring of 2015, they cited a lack of clear and open communication. They somehow blamed Thibs for the poor communication within every element of the organization, from players’ lockers up to Reinsdorf’s owner’s box. How was that all on Thibs, exactly? I still haven’t figured that one out, but that’s the story they chose to tell.
In case your memory is foggy, here’s a sampling of those thoughts from Reinsdorf, Forman and Paxson on their decision to fire Thibs.
“There must be free and open interdepartmental discussion and consideration of everyone’s ideas and opinions. These internal discussions must not be considered an invasion of turf, and must remain private. Teams that consistently perform at the highest levels are able to come together and be unified across the organization-staff, players, coaches, management and ownership. When everyone is on the same page, trust develops and teams can grow and succeed together. Unfortunately, there has been a departure from this culture.” – Jerry Reinsdorf
Reinsdorf’s key words? Open interdepartmental discussion. The owner pointed a heavy finger of blame at the coach for a departure from the culture that supposedly defined the Bulls for decades. At least that’s how Jerry saw it. His general manager echoed those sentiments, as Gar cited a need for “a culture of communication that builds a trust throughout this organization.”
Now, here’s Paxson.
“Relationships are difficult. But there has to be a situation with open dialogue, where there are no barriers. You should be able to ask any question, push the envelope. That’s what relationships should be about. Obviously there was a breakdown.” – John Paxson
Trust. Dialogue. Relationships. Was this a front office explaining a firing or a session of couples counseling? Either way, the Bulls’ front office trio made a point of hammering home their main idea: the team suffered from a breakdown in communication, and that was Thibodeau’s fault.
Enter Fred…
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