Bulls Year End Wrap Up: Part I

The Bulls have finally decided to officially fire Vinny Del Negro (really this time) so I thought I'd take some recent articles on the Bulls and figure out which is the worst.  Our candidates are two of my favorites: David Haugh and Jim O'Donnell as well as the Suntimes' Bulls write-by-numbers beat writer John Jackson.  We'll get their thoughts lost on not having a real coach around to help Derrick Rose's game at the pro level.

I know I've been basketball heavy, but there's been too much basketball stupidity to ignore.  I'd try to make fun of some hockey thoughts but they aren't really that far out there-- or as frequent. 

In a drawing held before I wrote this, Jim O'Donnell won and will be mocked first.

Last week, he took time out from covering horses and sports media to be an extra writer for the historic and memorable Bulls-Cavs five game round one best of seven series.  He makes a case for Vinny as good coach based on what Lebron James and Derrick Rose say.  Granted, they are good sources for supporting an argument-- but there's really nothing else making his case.  So, here's some new Hold Steady and some bad thoughts.




2 huge thumbs up
by Jim O'Donnell
April 28, 2010


 The campaign is over for the 2009-10 Bulls. Now the electoral college results over the future of Vinny Del Negro as head coach will be announced.
Many say it already has been decided -- nay instead of yea -- by the ruling council of two-and-a-half chiefs -- chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, executive vice president-basketball operations John Paxson and general manager Gar Forman.

Yes, VDN is on the way out of town.  You didn't need two sentences to say this.

Rose was asked first. After scoring 31 points in Cleveland's surprisingly difficult 96-94 closeout in Game 5, Rose was targeted with the media question: ''If you were given a vote on the retention of Vinny, would you vote yes or no and why?''

''I would vote yes,'' Rose said without pause. ''We both came in together, and he lets me have my freedom but still coaches me. He let me make my mistakes. I watch film with him almost every day. He taught me a lot about defense and offense and what I was supposed to do.

''But the decision isn't really up to me. It's up to the front office, so I'm just going to let them worry about that and just deal with it.


Alright, the star player likes Vinny.  But has Rose ever said anything negative about anyone?  Have you ever heard a player say, "Yeah, this coach blows.  No one was listening to him.  We ran 5 plays all year, and the only bigger joke than our half-court offense was our inbound plays."?  Although that would be nice.  And if he really wanted Vinny back, Rose could've just said-- "I demand him back."  That would've gone a long way.  He just left it for the front office.

For James -- who just missed a triple-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists despite a troublesome elbow -- the question was tweaked.

''After the five games,'' James was asked, ''did you think the Bulls were particularly well-coached, poorly coached or just in between?''

''I think they were well-coached,'' James said. ''Vinny and his staff had that group ready. They have a group of young talent that can really play the game of basketball, and they played hard. There was not one point where they were laying down.

Very kind words.  To be fair, they did slow James down to 31.8 pts, 9.2 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game for the series (I think, my math may be off).  Well prepared indeed-- he could have gone for 40-15-12 if they hadn't played so hard.  There's a difference between playing hard and being well coached.  You really expect a team to play hard in the playoffs, you expect the coach to add a little more value.

But it was kind words from a guy who was really had kinds words about the Bulls players and coaches the entire series.  He even went out of his way to say he enjoyed the city of Chicago itself.  Even while he almost averaged a triple double.  Quite kind of him, actually.

At the Bulls game-day shootaround, Deng told Jim Rose of WLS-Channel 7: ''Whatever the organization wants, I want what's good for the organization. But of course I would love to see Vinny come back as my head coach. He's done a marvelous job these last two years with us under the situations he's been handed.''

But Deng added, ''The organization has to move on. We have to figure out what we're going to do. And hopefully they'll get it all resolved.''

Thanks for the exclusive quote from Jim Rose.  It was a real eye opener.  Seriously, the players have known Vinny's days were numbered.  I've figured out that his days our numbered.  My casual basketball fan girlfriend knew it (Visit here fantastic cooking blog here).  What do the players quotes add now?

But if and when Del Negro is discarded -- perhaps to become the NBA's answer to ex-White Sox skipper Tony La Russa, perhaps merely to become a personable ''recyclable'' -- one word apparently won't be appearing on the cover of the 2010-11 Bulls media guide.

And that word is ''continuity.''

Continuity?  Yes, I want a third straight year of a team going 41-41 and being in the bottom part of the Eastern conference playoff teams.  And I don't understand the La Russa reference.  Is La Russa actually "personable"?  Hasn't he threatened reporters with a fungo bat?  Is he saying that Vinny is going on to a long career coaching roided up players- the NBA's personable answer to Canseco, McGuire, and others?  Well done Jim O'Donnell.  You've wasted my time.  And I've wasted all of yours.