Fred’s Problems, Not Ours
Now, back to Fred. Paxson cited inconsistency in Fred’s rotation as one of the team’s biggest problems this season.
“There was too much inconsistencies in the rotations and trying to plug holes from game to game. That’s stuff we talked to Fred about during the year, and we’ll continue to.” – John Paxson
The reason for the inconsistencies in the rotation is that none of the young players GarPax are so keen on developing proved to Fred that they deserved a steady role. Is it Fred’s fault that he had five backup guards who couldn’t play? No, that would be the guys who constructed the roster and orchestrated a bad midseason trade. Good call. Hypocrisy #7.
And why is it so challenging for some of these younger guys to have impact roles right away?
“These kids, we’re not sure yet. But that’s part of the process of development. We’re in a business, in basketball, we draft a lot of these kids so young, it’s not like a system like baseball where you can throw em down for 2 years then bring them up. We have to develop them quickly and see what we have.” – John Paxson
“Draft these kids so young”? Are you referring to rookie Denzel Valentine, a four-year player under Tom Izzo at Michigan State? The “kid” you drafted at 22 years old who couldn’t find his way into the rotation despite garbage minutes from the guys in front of him? Good call. Hypocrisy #8.
Paxson also made note of the difficulty of finding impact players with middle-late first round picks. But isn’t it your “strategy” that has the Bulls stuck in this draft purgatory? The indecisiveness between competing and rebuilding is the direct reason for drafting where you’re drafting. Good call. Hypocrisy #9.
Not only did GarPax throw Fred under the bus for the inconsistent rotation that was their fault, but Paxson also said the coach still lacks great leadership.
“I think Fred’s challenge this offseason is to find ways to be a better leader.” – John Paxson
Excuse me, is that a joke? Didn’t you sell Hoiberg as a “great communicator” when you fired Tom Thibodeau? I might be off base here, but I think communication and leadership go hand in hand. If a leader can’t clearly communicate his expectations of the group he’s leading (which was a problem all year) then he’s not a great leader. If a leader can’t motivate his guys to consistently play their best (another problem this year), then he’s not a great leader. But this is the guy Paxson allowed Gar to hand-pick after a nonexistent “search” for Thibs’ replacement. Good call. Hypocrisy #10.
Now, what about Jimmy Butler? The looming decision to keep or trade Butler will largely determine the direction of this team for the next several seasons. And surprise, surprise: GarPax still won’t commit to their franchise player.
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