Chicago Bulls: Fred Hoiberg making his presence felt
Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg is often overlooked as a key piece of the team’s rebuild.
Life in the NBA hasn’t been easy for Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg. When the front office lured him away from the collegiate ranks following the 2015-16 campaign, they promised he was inheriting a championship-caliber ball club that was only in need of a new voice to help the team overcome its recent playoff shortcomings.
To be perfectly honest, that assessment wasn’t close to being true, as Hoiberg would soon find out.
If that wasn’t bad enough, Hoiberg also had to deal with one of his star players – Jimmy Butler – critiquing his coaching style on the heels of an embarrassing loss to the New York Knicks.
"“I believe in the guys in this locker room, yeah,” Butler told ESPN. “But I also believe that we probably have to be coached a lot harder at times. I’m sorry, I know Fred’s a laid-back guy, and I really respect him for that, but when guys aren’t doing what they’re supposed to do, you got to get on guys, myself included. You got to do what you’re supposed to do when you’re out there playing basketball.”"
Despite the early speed bumps, the Bulls went on to finish with a 42-40 record. However, they failed to reach the postseason, something that hadn’t happened since 2008.
The front office didn’t do Hoiberg any favors in his second year either. After general manager Gar Forman stated that the Bulls needed to get younger and more athletic, the front office proceeded to sign Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade during the offseason. Although both players contributed in their own ways, this wasn’t the ideal scenario for a coach who wanted to implement a fast-paced offense.
Sure, the Bulls did manage to sneak into the playoffs with a 41-41 record and they even raised a few eyebrows after winning the first two games of their first round series against the top-seeded Boston Celtics. As they had done throughout the season, though, the Bulls regressed to the mean and dropped the next four games, which included a 105-83 drubbing in the series finale on their home court.
The United Center faithful voiced their displeasure with the team’s lackadaisical effort by chanting “Fire Hoiberg.”
Man, talk about being brutal.
Fast forward to the present, things are a bit different for the third-year head coach – from both a positive and negative perspective. Unfortunately, with the team opting to go into a full rebuild, the Bulls will more than likely lose more games this season than they did during the previous two seasons combined.
This sentiment is supported by the fact that the team dropped seven of its first 10 games and has already endured losing streaks of three, five and 10 games, respectively. Furthermore, they are in the midst of a two-game skid as we speak.
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On the other side of this story, however, is this group has had some success. While they have lost by as many as 49 points, the Bulls did go on an improbable seven-game winning streak, something that few expected when this team was assembled during the offseason.
During that win streak, the Bulls averaged over 100 points per contest and shot the ball at a respectable clip as well (48 percent overall). As one would imagine, the unproven younger players who have shown flashes of potential will get most of the credit for any level of success the team has during the season.
What has gotten overlooked is the fact that Hoiberg is leaving his imprint on this group. Of course, the losses are going to be plentiful this season because the Bulls don’t have the same level of talent as most of the teams in the NBA.
Fortunately, this has not stopped this group from giving an all-out effort on a nightly basis. Even more important, Hoiberg has finally been provided with the right mix of players who have his back and are willing to buy into the system he’s been trying to instill since he arrived in the summer of 2015.
"“The one thing I know for sure is that Fred was around almost all summer,’’ Nikola Mirotic told the Chicago Sun-Times. “I saw he was putting a lot of work in. He was talking with guys, watching video, so he really does care about the team, about the guys. He needs to get credit because he’s doing a very good job now. We all hope that he will continue to make us grow as a team and develop us into better players.’’"
Third-year forward Bobby Portis also had this to say.
"“I’ve heard the criticism [from fans], but I feel like Fred has been a great coach. I feel like we’ve done better than a lot of people think, and Fred needs to get the credit he deserves for that.’’"
Next: 2018 NBA Mock Draft: End of 2017 edition
The Bulls have their work cut out for them as they continue on their road back to respectability. While the players on the court will play an important role in the process, a trustworthy coach who is capable of getting the best out of his players on a nightly basis is an integral part of that journey as well.