It seems the dream that so many Chicago Bulls fans have clung to might never come. They’ve shouted to the heavens for GM Gar Forman and VP of Basketball Operations John Paxson to be removed for years now. Their inability to build a championship roster is evident beyond doubt at this point. These past few years with the Jimmy Butler trade and the hirings of Fred Hoiberg and Jim Boylen merely cemented it.
Yet days continue to drag on. Paxson is still in charge. The team is still awful and going nowhere. Now the Bulls are even removing fans from games that wear “Fire GarPax” shirts or jerseys. Attendance has dropped. Nothing about this situation says everything will be fine. Will the Reinsdorfs finally see reality and make a change?
Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald has it on good authority that this will be the case. Forman’s power has already been removed to a considerable extent. Now it seems Paxson is next.
“Team sources expect Paxson will move into an advisory role. And that could be fine. The White Sox did a similar switch with Kenny Williams moving up and Rick Hahn taking over the baseball operations, and that seems to be working well.
The most important thing is a new head of basketball operations must report to the Reinsdorfs, not Paxson. Paxson is a smart guy and might have plenty to add in the future, but for change to happen, he needs to step aside.”
John Paxson will be “promoted” but lose influence
In essence, this is the Reinsdorf’s way of getting Paxson out of the way without him suffering the indignity of being fired. In spite of his many mistakes running the organization, he is still a respected person in that building. Three rings as a player and another as an assistant coach. The same was true of Williams with the White Sox. The man who built their 2005 World Series champion. Throwing guys like that to the curb isn’t how this ownership operates.
Either way, the Bulls fans get what they want. Somebody else in charge. One can only hope the guy they choose is somebody with credibility and not just another yes man who will cater to the politics infected way too much of that organization.
