Chicago Bulls: Should Fred Hoiberg’s job be in jeopardy?

The Chicago Bulls have lost 13 of 17 games to start the 2018-19 season. Is it time to consider a coaching change?

We’ve barely reached Thanksgiving, which generally would mean it’s much too soon to issue takes for coaches on the hot seat. It’s usually too soon to consider coaching changes, especially when the team in question is missing four key contributors, including two starters.

But when that team in question is the Chicago Bulls and the start to the season doesn’t seem much different from last season’s actual tanking effort, questions are sure to start flying.

The Bulls are off to a dreadful 4-13 start, and injuries are certainly to blame for a large portion of their early struggles. Losing Lauri Markkanen, Kris Dunn, Bobby Portis, and Denzel Valentine have made head coach Fred Hoiberg‘s job much more difficult than initially expected this season.

Hoiberg has been tasked with piecing together a rotation that involves a former G League star in Antonio Blakeney, a point guard castoff from the point guard-starved Phoenix Suns in Shaquille Harrison and, well, Cameron Payne.

It’s only fair to Hoiberg that we recognize the difficulties he’s been handed that aren’t of his doing. With that being said, the questions about Hoiberg’s job security are becoming more and more legitimate with each loss.

Is Fred Hoiberg the right person for this job?

It’s admittedly tough to evaluate a coach’s effect on his team when he’s missing a quarter of his roster. As the summer faded and training camp loomed around the corner, the positive energy swirling around the United Center was that the Bulls could make a playoff push in the Eastern Conference.

That theory was centered around a belief that the East was weak and therefore wide open for any to take over the reins LeBron James controlled for nearly a decade. The playoff or bust fever as training camp tipped off has been severely tempered by devastating injuries. The active roster is a shell of what the Bulls envisioned over the summer.

The question still remains: Ts Fred Hoiberg the right coach at this time for the Chicago Bulls? It’s not just the wins and losses, though the gulf between the two continues to widen. The team is not just terrible defensively, with a defensive rating of 111.8, ranking 23rd in the league.

The Bulls have been even worse offensively, which is hard to imagine considering Jabari Parker’s lethargic defensive effort most nights. Their 101.5 offensive rating rank the Bulls dead last. So in short, they don’t play much defense and their offense is even worse. The average margin of victory for their opponents is 10.4. It hasn’t been pretty most nights for this team.

It’s true that Hoiberg cannot be blamed for the wrath of injuries his team has endured during the young season. What is also true is how horrendously bad his team has played during the first 17 games of the season. He can be judged on lack of energy, poor effort and continual blowouts suffered. He is responsible for the development of the young players and their success or lack thereof is indicative of the coach’s input.

The reality is the season has been a nightmare, but it’s not all Hoiberg’s fault

So far, the Chicago Bulls have featured a whole lot of Zach LaVine and Wendell Carter Jr., while attempting to trot out Jabari Parker as if he’s a good fit for the team and the city. He’s been neither good for the Bulls nor does he embody what typically endears players to Chicago.

Never mind that Parker is a hometown high school legend. He was ill-fitted from the beginning and his play has only confirmed this. No, this isn’t Hoiberg’s fault and cannot be spun into his fault. At this point, he has little choice but to trot out Parker for 30 minutes a game.

Hoiberg also has had little choice but to keep Blakeney in the rotation. While we know the former G League Rookie of the Year can score, Blakeney isn’t on the court to create options for his teammates. He’s looking for his shot and his shot only. Per 36 minutes, Blakeney is averaging 19.2 shots, second only to LaVine. This doesn’t bode well for the development of Chandler Hutchison or Carter.

Is Hoiberg legitimately on the hot seat?

With this organization, we know only that there is probably little pressure on John Paxson and Gar Forman. The injury bug has certainly provided the front office with an easy excuse should this season continue to spiral down the toilet.

As for Hoiberg, he was brought in to be an offensive guru. This was supposed to be the season the former college coach would finally be able to utilize the talent on the roster suited to his desires. The injuries have had a devastating effect on the short-term, but whether Hoiberg has a long-term future in Chicago will depend on his ability to improve the Bulls’ lifeless offense once Dunn and Markkanen return.

It’s unlikely that Fred Hoiberg is in any real danger at the moment. Without a full stable of healthy players, it’s impossible to gauge his true impact. Also, there really isn’t a coach in the league who could mold the current roster into a legitimate playoff contender.

If Hoiberg and the Chicago Bulls struggle once fully healthy, it’s possible Hoiberg finds himself on the outside looking in. For now, he (and Bulls fans) will have to weather this storm and hope for better results to take effect soon.