Fred Hoiberg, head coach of the Chicago Bulls, recently spoke out about his new team and the success they will have.
Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg had a rocky start to his NBA coaching debut.
Having been hired shortly after Chicago discarded Tom Thibodeau in a less-than-civilized manner, the media and Bulls fans alike were on a witch-hunt against the organization.
First, there were those who felt that Thibodeau had done an excellent job reviving the team and turning it into the league’s top defensive powerhouse, angry at general manager Gar Forman for letting him go period, much less in such a way.
But even the handful who were ready for a coaching change blasted the front office for giving Chicago a bad look, only continuing the negative reputation the organization had gained over the past several years.
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So to say timing was bad for Hoiberg, would be an understatement.
Next came his decision to have center Joakim Noah come off of the bench.
Although since 2008, Derrick Rose had become the face of the franchise, Noah was a fan favorite alongside of him, not to mention one of the team’s star players. Noah was also one of the league’s top guys on defense.
Therefore while it is true that Noah did not have a great 2014-15 season (averaging just 7.2 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists a game), benching him was a puzzling move. One that not only left a sour taste in fans’ mouths, but also in that of the rest of the squad.
They felt that Noah was disrespected, and questioned Hoiberg’s ability to be a successful NBA coach.
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This only led to more problems between Hoiberg and his players.
The best example of which is when Jimmy Butler publicly called him out for being “too soft.”
And then of course, the Bulls finished 42-40, falling ninth in the Eastern Conference and causing them to miss the Playoffs. The cherry on top of it all.
But now, Hoiberg has a chance to redeem himself. A fresh start, with a fresh team.
A team that despite some thinking is a recipe for disaster, Hoiberg has full confidence in.
"“The biggest thing is we have multiple playmakers now, we have guys who can get in and break down the defense. That’s the most important thing to have on an NBA roster is multiple ballhandlers, multiple playmakers. Bigs who are gonna set screens and put pressure on the rim.Rondo is a point guard who I think will thrive in the system we like to run and then to get Dwyane, we didn’t have to give up any of the young pieces in the process. We’re able to stay competitive with players with championship experience. To pair those two guys with Jimmy Butler, it’ll be a dynamic and exciting backcourt.”"
And speaking of Butler, Hoiberg claims things are all good in that department.
"“Jimmy and I have had a lot of conversations. There’s a lot of things (that happened) last year. The big thing was the comment after the New York game…We got it handed to us and the comment was made.“We had a lot of conversations and I don’t see any issues with Jimmy Butler and I. The biggest thing as a staff is we have 15 guys that we gotta coach and hopefully put them in situations and utilize their skill sets and get the most out of them.”"
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Will things be as peachy as Hoiberg claims? Maybe not right off of the bat. But there is no denying that he needs a do-over on last season. And staying positive regarding the future is a great start.