Guys, I'm starting to worry about our guy Paxson here
Especially weird Pax-speak after the Boylan wake on Thursday:
"I'm not going into this thing, 'I've got to have this kind of person,' I can tell you that," Paxson said. "I'm going into it open-minded and with the belief that I'm going to try to find someone that I think can connect with our organization, resonate with our fans and be the right guy that can get us back on the winning track.
"Contrary to what has been written, I don't have any one person in mind that I want to go after to get this job. I'm not going to worry about a timetable. I'm not going to worry about anyone getting hired in the meantime.
"I'm going to do as thorough a search as I can to find someone that I think will fit the organization and give us direction going forward. I think we need some real leadership from that position."
(Before I rant on nearly every word he said, I acknowledge that Paxson is likely lying or at least embellishing about some of this. It's either that or he's overmatched as a GM, so I'd choose to believe the former.)
First of all, it's unforgivable (if it's true) that he has no preconceived leading candidate, let alone no idea what kind of candidate to look for. Not only should starting an informal coaching search have been deemed necessary after seeing a week of Boylan, he should have replacements in mind even when Skiles was coach. Pax is playing it off as being thorough, but I consider it unprepared.
And notice the quick jab at the media when saying "contrary to what has been written". Yet another example of Paxson giving too much worry (i.e., any) to that darned 'misinformation' out there that keeps him from doing his job. For someone who isn't worried, he sure spends a lot of time saying how he isn't worried.
And worse yet, he should be worried, if it's regarding the possibility that someone is hired in the meantime. What if they're the best choice? Right, he doesn't even have an idea what criteria he'll be looking for, let a lone who fits that. Holy crap.
And then there's the pandering to the fans. I don't want the coach to "resonate" with me. I don't even care if he "connects with the organization", as even Pax has said that the same organization needs to be reevaluated at all levels (And it sounds like he's right on that point. Of course, no part of that reevaluation involves canning 'organizational guys' Myers and Adams, though they weren't promised seats on the bench either).
For contrast, look to Ben Gordon, who said regarding his preferred style of coach: "It really doesn't matter to me, I think we just need a coach who knows the result is winning." I feel the same way, as winning will resonate just fine. Pax should be even less worried about the fans than the press when it comes to this.
For a guy who's supposed strong suits include dealing with the media, Pax sure finds ways to irk me often. And the examples above wouldn't get to me so much if he didn't reinforce them every chance he got, and worse yet make personnel moves that echo them. It's a pattern that's getting harder to explain away.
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full disclosure:
by your friendly BullsBlogger on Apr 17, 2008 7:56 PM CDT 0 recs
It's a sales job
Like a lot of other guys doing poorly in a sales job, a lot of what he said lacked substance and seemed like pandering. In fact, the amount of spin he put into his statements and the number of buzz words or catch phrases was alarming--though he failed to add the once popular "accountability" and "synergy" and "culture of winning".
When you hear this kind of stuff it feels like he takes you for a fool. Especially since a lot of Bulls fans have very sensitive b.s.-meters. Not only that, but that's a lot of feelgood fluff and nonsense from the guy who in the past has preached anything but.
by bullhockey on
Apr 18, 2008 9:35 AM CDT
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"Resonate with our fans"
by Big D on Apr 17, 2008 8:00 PM CDT 0 recs
Seriously
by cubbybear on
Apr 18, 2008 12:59 AM CDT
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I'm just going to pretend I don't mind.
by tyger1147 on Apr 17, 2008 8:11 PM CDT 0 recs
There might be quite a few
by Big D on
Apr 17, 2008 8:18 PM CDT
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Maybe he learned his lesson with Skiles
He's said he's keeping an open mind, what's wrong with that? I'm sure he has a list of coaches and he'll be able to narrow it down from there.
by RogersPark Kris on Apr 17, 2008 8:14 PM CDT 0 recs
What the hell is wrong with this franchise...
BTW, I am a fan, I am a season ticket holder. I know many other fans, and many other season ticket holders, including the ones here. None of them have ever voiced any deep longing for character or grit. All of them simply want to win. It's as if Paxson is pandering to an obsolete sterotype of blue-collar Chicago sports fans, fans who no longer even exists in reality, fans who certainly aren't paying tens of thousands of dollars for Bulls season tickets.
by 1958ChiTown on Apr 17, 2008 8:19 PM CDT 0 recs
maybe you sit too close
by your friendly BullsBlogger on
Apr 17, 2008 9:11 PM CDT
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I'm OK with one gritty, character guy
But, yeah, this obsession with creating a whole team of gritty, character who should come off the bench is a bit of a problem, to say the least. It sure makes the start of first and third quarters problematic.
by wjb1492 on
Apr 17, 2008 9:20 PM CDT
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Ding! Ding! Ding!
by bullhockey on
Apr 18, 2008 9:20 AM CDT
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I guess that is a good point.
They were more popular when Nocioni was actually playing decent basketball and the Bulls were actually winning.
by 1958ChiTown on
Apr 17, 2008 9:22 PM CDT
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I was kidding a bit
by your friendly BullsBlogger on
Apr 17, 2008 9:26 PM CDT
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Do the season ticket holders get together?
I know Bears season ticket holders and they tell me they get together with people in the same section in the off season generally to talk Bears, but they also talk about putting pressure on the club.
by NBA Observer on
Apr 18, 2008 8:49 AM CDT
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I think
I bet this due dilligence will be talk that will ease into, well I hired this NBA rookie coach again basically because Reinsdorf doesn't want me to spend any more money seeing that I've already f'd up this franchise this year....
I mean how can he not have his coaching search narrowed down to 3 guys, he's had since Dec 24th to hire his real coach (well maybe he's had since late Jan before it was clear Jimmy Boylan wasn't the right choice)....
Maybe Sam Vincent will become available....
Mike Woodson might be better now that he's a coach with "playoff experience".
"Mark Iavonni too has done a damn fine job in Memphis and might be fired for it too.
Of course Larry Krystowiak is already living close by and now he's unemployed....hey why not him too.
Of course I'm kidding.....but it would be a sad event if this organization goes for cheap again with the coach. I really wish they didn't do this interim thing coming into the most important summer for this franchise post 1998 (Deng and Gordon are HUGE decisions and I'm not so sure Pax has proven worthy of making big, objective decisions).
We'll see, if he f's up this summer Paxson will likely be out as Bulls GM by this time next year. It's a shame as I want to like Pax, one of my bball idols as a kid, and a Chicago legend.
by majoyenrac on Apr 17, 2008 8:42 PM CDT 0 recs
they went cheap with Phil Jackson
by your friendly BullsBlogger on
Apr 17, 2008 9:12 PM CDT
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So all they need is a cheap, no name coach
by wjb1492 on
Apr 17, 2008 9:15 PM CDT
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I know they
There aren't many Phil Jackson's out there--actually there's only one NBA Phil Jackson and he's on the Lakers now and might be the best coach (or top 5 at least inarguably) of all time....
There are some VERY good coaches out there but we tend to try to spend little on the coaches in this city just to drastically overpay the players (Lou Pinella notwithstanding I guess)...
by majoyenrac on
Apr 18, 2008 7:31 AM CDT
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Kind of funny that Kirk and Ben in their comments
by wjb1492 on Apr 17, 2008 9:01 PM CDT 0 recs
gah!
by your friendly BullsBlogger on
Apr 17, 2008 9:06 PM CDT
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(not on the west coast)
by hlac on
Apr 17, 2008 9:33 PM CDT
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New Bucks GM John Hammond
by your friendly BullsBlogger on Apr 17, 2008 9:25 PM CDT 0 recs
"the man that Larry was"
by hscs on
Apr 17, 2008 9:29 PM CDT
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For example
by Sports2 on
Apr 17, 2008 10:20 PM CDT
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that'd be bad news
by bullshooter on
Apr 17, 2008 10:30 PM CDT
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They aren't but they should be
by Sports2 on
Apr 17, 2008 10:33 PM CDT
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oh boy...
by bullshooter on
Apr 17, 2008 10:38 PM CDT
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Sports2, check out Sam Smith's latest
by NBA Observer on
Apr 18, 2008 8:53 AM CDT
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Nice find, Observer
Both Sam and KC were on cltv last night, and true to form, KC sat there like the dim-witted sidekick (I think he said about two words the whole show)...while Sam went with opinion after opinion, after funny anecdote after funny anecdote.
by alec on
Apr 18, 2008 9:28 AM CDT
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Great find!
He also had all kinds of interesting anecdotes about various players and coaches, like how Elden Campbell played with a $100 bill tucked in his sock to keep him focused in his contract year.
--------------------------
About GM's, I just want a guy with a freaking plan, and I don't see much in the way of vision for how winning basketball is played from the current one. I'd be perfectly happy with an older guy like Jerry Colangelo, Jerry West, Wayne Embry, guys that have proven they're more than a soundbite or a flash in the pan. I'd be happy luring away a guy like Bower who's succeeded in circumstances that were probably tougher than anything faced by big-market Chicago.
by Sports2 on
Apr 18, 2008 9:51 AM CDT
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Bower did get some help from Atlanta
Any time you're talking GM moves and the draft there will be some luck involved. We Bull fans know about Sam Bowie.
I'd love to have Jerry Colangelo as GM who will soon be free from his USA Basketball commitment. ;) Watch your back Pax.
by NBA Observer on
Apr 18, 2008 10:49 AM CDT
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sounds to me
I'd make a comment about reading between the lines, but I think this diary was just about tearing Paxson down a little to keep exult on your side. :-p
by bullshooter on Apr 17, 2008 9:52 PM CDT 0 recs
Pretty sure that's what it is
and he knows he won't be able to get him until after the play-offs.
by alec on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 05:37:17 PM CST
[ Parent | Reply to This ]
by alec on
Apr 17, 2008 10:03 PM CDT
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what's with that sig?
by bullshooter on
Apr 17, 2008 10:07 PM CDT
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right
by your friendly BullsBlogger on
Apr 17, 2008 10:58 PM CDT
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I was just surprised
by alec on
Apr 17, 2008 11:07 PM CDT
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I had thought
by sue369 on
Apr 17, 2008 10:06 PM CDT
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If that's it
by hlac on
Apr 17, 2008 10:27 PM CDT
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the reason is
by your friendly BullsBlogger on
Apr 17, 2008 10:57 PM CDT
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so he can't even say he knows what type
by your friendly BullsBlogger on
Apr 17, 2008 11:01 PM CDT
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*type of coach
by your friendly BullsBlogger on
Apr 17, 2008 11:02 PM CDT
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He doesn't
by sue369 on
Apr 18, 2008 10:31 AM CDT
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fine, then go into Krause mode
by your friendly BullsBlogger on
Apr 18, 2008 10:35 AM CDT
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plus this all goes back to the fact that
by your friendly BullsBlogger on
Apr 18, 2008 10:36 AM CDT
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for half a season
by bullshooter on
Apr 18, 2008 10:45 AM CDT
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he was beyond 'not good'
I'm independently blaming Paxson for hiring that buffoon and even worse not telling him what to do.
by your friendly BullsBlogger on
Apr 18, 2008 10:54 AM CDT
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he was the best choice at the time
by bullshooter on
Apr 18, 2008 11:04 AM CDT
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fine, but then he botched how it was handled
by your friendly BullsBlogger on
Apr 18, 2008 11:11 AM CDT
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and yesterday he was fired
by bullshooter on
Apr 18, 2008 11:13 AM CDT
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huh?
We're here to talk about the past, Mr. McGwire.
by your friendly BullsBlogger on
Apr 18, 2008 11:20 AM CDT
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yeah
by bullshooter on
Apr 18, 2008 11:24 AM CDT
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by all means...
Do we really need to get into a debate over what's an appropriate timeframe to 'move on' from analyzing mistakes, a time beyond of going over their impact and relevance to confidence regarding future moves? really? you're that big of a pain in the ass? I mean, your act would work better if you were someone with more to say.
by your friendly BullsBlogger on
Apr 18, 2008 11:35 AM CDT
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you're probably right
by bullshooter on
Apr 18, 2008 11:44 AM CDT
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and that's fine
I do get upset when it's suggested whether something's relevant or not to even discuss. If you don't think it's worth discussing, don't contribute to the discussion.
by your friendly BullsBlogger on
Apr 18, 2008 12:03 PM CDT
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I was talking more in the congressional sense
by bullshooter on
Apr 18, 2008 12:21 PM CDT
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So...
Also, could you elaborate on what, in particular, your diametrical opposition to the "throw the baby out with the bathwater" mob entails? Forgive me if I'm mistaking you for someone else, but I though you told me getting rid of Luol Deng, who's generally been considered our best player over the last couple of years, needed to be the Bulls' first priority.
Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with that position. In fact, I find it quite a bit more interesting than discussions of diametrical opposition and babies and bath water.
by Sports2 on
Apr 18, 2008 12:10 PM CDT
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although I do find it interesting
I'd think casting off the best players on the team would be throwing out the babies.
by your friendly BullsBlogger on
Apr 18, 2008 12:18 PM CDT
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upgrading, not getting rid of
by bullshooter on
Apr 18, 2008 12:27 PM CDT
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Finishing
http://www.nba.com/hotspots/
by jpchi on
Apr 19, 2008 3:40 PM CDT
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read it again
by bullshooter on
Apr 19, 2008 4:43 PM CDT
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Fine,
by jpchi on
Apr 19, 2008 9:30 PM CDT
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Don't bother bullshooter with facts now.
by tyger1147 on
Apr 19, 2008 10:35 PM CDT
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82 Games shows Inside Scoring
According to them:
39% of Deng’s shots were inside, and he made 60.6%
21% of Noc’s shots were inside and he made 55.7% of them.
They’ve actually got a sortable list so you can go through and compare them to other guys around the league.
by Sports2 on
Apr 20, 2008 2:41 PM CDT
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It's an interesting comparison
despite all the injuries Deng, he played 100 more minutes than Noc who played in all 82 games. They both took roughly the same number of shots. The only evidence I (besides watching the games) is that Noc had a lower ast’d percentage on his close and dunks compared to Deng implying that Noc was more likely to drive on his own. Deng was more likely to get his close and dunks on plays where he was making a cut, not off of the dribble. I wasn’t trying to say that Noc should start over Deng, just that he has a more aggressive style on offense that I’d like to see either the SG or SF have. The fact that Deng had almost twice the percentage of close and dunks that Noc had also probably means that he is going to rim, just in the context of the offense, not while rying to create his own shot.
2008 or bust.
by bullshooter on
Apr 20, 2008 4:41 PM CDT
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And
we want Nocioni to be dribbling with his handles?
"Worker bees can leave.
Even drones can fly away.
The Queen is their slave."
by jpchi on
Apr 21, 2008 1:42 PM CDT
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You're wasting your own time, dude.
by tyger1147 on
Apr 18, 2008 1:30 PM CDT
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What were the
by sue369 on
Apr 18, 2008 11:02 AM CDT
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I prefer my version
I want some confidence from the guy that he knows what he's doing. Instead he's talking about the media and fans first. Does that mean he's actually more concerned about the media and fans? No, but he says it all the time and it's annoying. God forbid he tips his hand and says "I have some candidates in mind".
He's still above-average. Even in this abysmal season, he nailed the Noah pick and scammed someone into taking Ben Wallace. But he hasn't done a good enough job where I can just assume the crap coming out of his mouth is some grand master scheme.
by your friendly BullsBlogger on
Apr 18, 2008 11:10 AM CDT
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