I kept waiting for Paxson to assert himself in any way, but particularly about Boylan’s lineups and rotations. It’s impossible for me to believe Paxson didn’t want to see more Tyrus pt than Boylan gave us.

suns were an average defensive team, while playing amare and nash extensively. we naturally have a better defensive team, but a horrible offense, so we need someone to boost our 30th in FG% offense.

both took steps back. I wouldn’t say D’Antoni is a great developer of talent.

In fact, Gooden should get plenty of PT if D’Antoni would be willing to go with a three man rotation up front. Gray should be hoping that Paxson trades or releases him if D’Antoni is brought on.

...w/ “naturally defensive” guys, getting D’Antoni would be the opposite of getting a coach to fit the players, as, I think, Sam Smith said Paxson said he was going to do. A number of “smart people” think the Bulls would be suited to an offense like D’Antoni’s, but who really knows?

As a season ticket holder, I just want to watch an interesting team. Last season, it was really f’in hard to go to games. Felt like a chore.

Obviously, I really want the Bulls to be good. However, if they’re going to suck, they might as well be entertaining while sucking. I’ll take a run and gun suck over the crap we saw last season.

But were blinded by the “Pax does no wrong” credo and refused to admit it was a stupid move. It was a bad signing, every team makes them, we must move forward from it. At least we’re still not tied up with contracts to Charlie Bell, Bobby Simmons, and Dan Gadzuric.

Shawn Marion wasn’t a great 3 point shooter. His percentages went down every season since D’Antoni was a head coach, and that didn’t stop them from being a great outside shooting team. And, if D’Antoni does get hired, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Deng start launching 2 a game at the behest of his new coach.

He runs around relentlessly and finds little screen opportunities, and when he finds them he’s got good hands to catch and shoot a very effective mid-range jump shot. A coach with a good offensive imagination should be able to figure out how to put Deng’s strong points in play.

They would have showed you jazz hands had Paxson offered 65 million.

Larry Hughes is Larry Hughes. He should be the 4th guard.

as he is fewer dollars on his contract.

I’m with Matt, but just make him he 5th guard.

Hughes really can’t.

I haven’t seen anything mentioning that he’s even looking for a GM. Who knows if that means he’s actually taking on personnel responsibilities or going to hand those over to the eventual coach?

but he’s looking for a general manager too.

blech.

Personally, I don’t see how that matters. Chicago does have a nice championship history, but I think what’s more important to D’Antoni is that Chicago has a roster that can fit his offensive philosophy, they have a GM who isn’t going to try and interfere too much with roster changes unless it’s absolutely necessary, and that the city and franchise will openly embrace a head coach with a career head coaching record above .500 for the first time since Phil Jackson.

he’d be worth taking a shot on. If he doesn’t produce this coming season, he makes for a nice, big expiring contract for next offseason or that season’s trade deadline.

well played or something…

the revisionists sure got here in a hurry…

why would Avery Johnson want to be an assistant coach?

This is a irrational-Reinsdorf-hate free zone. It’s not like you even have to look far, you want Robert Sarver owning this team? (seems like) He’s making Kerr say they want D’Antoni to remain coach just so he doesn’t have to fire him (and therefore pay him), and instead make it look like the Bulls pulled him away.

we had them. We Had Elton Brand! and We Traded Ron Artest! (with a bunch of other ppl, for jalen rose). Trust me, I couldn’t believe it either.

Doesn’t surprise me.

taking the milwookie head coaching job , he can’t be paid by more than one team.

even in the Donaghy Era.

Yes, it’s sad that we still don’t know the story with Skiles. A coach cannot be paid to coach two different teams, but I don’t see why a team cannot pay a coach as part of a buyout and then fire the coach. Coaching salaries aren’t privy to the CBA. They’re independent of it.

What it looks like is Skiles was fired, but went to ownership and said the team needs a new voice and so it should just meet somewhere half way on the contractual terms. Skiles could have just stayed and earned the entirety of his contract. He didn’t. The reports indicate he was offered 7 million to depart immediately. This 7 million can be paid out whenever Reinsdorf feels like it.

goes a little further:

ESPN.com reported Friday that Chicago was the most likely landing spot for D’Antoni if he could convince his owner (Robert Sarver) and team president (Kerr) that it was time to part company. Yet it remains to be seen how much the Bulls are willing to spend on a new head man when they still owe an estimated $6 million to new Milwaukee Bucks coach Scott Skiles, according to NBA coaching sources.

Weve been over that this team can be a good defensive team, thats what alot of them were drafted for. I would like at least one of the 3 assistants to be defensive minded (ideally i would want two of them to be defensive minded, to even it out). The offense for this team and the players have to develop, but the defense has to be maintained (not this years defensive but the potential defense this team can play, you know when they are the 2nd best team at forcing turnovers) and having a few coaches who know these things would be nice.

Sort of OT but i hope this coaching thing continues at least up until the lottery, with us getting litlte tidbitts every day. Offseasons can be boring, but not as boring as when your team is not in the playoffs as the playoffs are going on. Its like limbo… after the lottery everyone will focus on who to get, and after the draft there will be thoughts on trades and playing styles and lineups, and after that will be the predictions and preseason, and then….”Witness the Running of the Bulls”?

Didn’t know that Weber predated D’Antoni’s arrival in Phoenix. His NBA.com profile says Weber also developed Baron Davis and Jalen Rose.

http://www.nba.com/coachfile/phil_weber/index.html

Unless it’s a joke that I don’t get.

Players looking for a contract with “60%” chances of playing GB in the August championships?

Diaw played for France. Must have been D’Antoni’s idea.

Did Sean Marks play for New Zealand? Whoops, he retired from international bball and took the oath. He’s an American now. Get him over to Team USA before Arenas quits.

Reinsdorf’s obligatory initial resistance….

Good Pax, speaking to Mike D’Antoni: Mike, I understand that things didn’t work out between you and the Suns. We’ve been a defensive-minded franchise in the past, but we think you could bring something truly special to Chicago. Our guys are already really good defensively; they just need to play for a coach who cares and who will teach. I have personally put this roster together, and I know that they will do wonders for a coach such as you. I even let Jim Boylan have some space when he went against my edict to play our young bigs. In some ways, Mike, I’m asking you to save my tenure as GM. You’ll have all the support in the world.

Bad Pax: I built this roster, and they are a defense-first roster. You’ve done ok, but with all due respect, you’ve only coached half the floor. If you take over this team, it could be your shot at glory, but make no mistake about it: we’re a defense-first team, and we’re not about to change that for you because you’ve had a few good years. This is your final chance. Take it or leave it.

Be Good, Pax!

Said get players to fit D’Antoni’s style of play…and not “a non-shooting center like before”...

Really emphasized the thought of changing things up…style-wise…

I understand it to an extent. I wouldn’t want to talk to media jackasses either, even if it was my job. It’s still funny.

maybe they don’t have an offset provision because Skiles gave some money back in the final contract payout?

If Mike came to Chicago.

That’s what has me really giddy

I don’t know what’s going to happen, of course, but if D’Antoni can “leave” the Bulls with a roster of talent in four years that he’s leaving Phoenix, but have guys all 26/27 or under, I’ll be ecstatic.

A championship in the next three years would be nice, but it ain’t happening. All I really want is to make the players here the best they can absolutely be. They’ll all be hitting their prime in 3-4 years, and if a change is needed then, so be it.

The difference, though, is that a lot of guys knew the offense with Skiles and really did just need to “get better” on their individual skills. Not that Skiles handled it the right way, but it isn’t as hands-on as going from a defensively-minded team to an offensively-minded one. With a different offense, too. There’s a LOT more that needs to be learned.

D’Antoni won’t opt out of coaching Team USA, of course, but it’s different circumstances from what he was planning on with his veteran team in Phoenix. And if Luol and Gordon take too long to re-sign (let alone not re-signing), we’re definitely looking at an unfun start to next season.

they were just farming a NYPost article. change my lame joke appropriately.

Nah, I really love this new format

It’s just new, thats all

little scroll bar under the comment and you’ll see all the answers.

A source in Chicago said that late last week Paxson was torn. On the one hand, he wanted to keep his core of young players together and felt a change in coaching philosophy might turn the team around. On the other hand, the thought of bringing in a coach who wouldn’t emphasize defense and discipline bothered Paxson.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/insider/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&page=Bulls-080506

on D’Antoni, it’s gonna be real hard to regain any off season momentum.

You doubted me the other day when I said that the Knicks were gonna outbid the Bulls for D’Antoni. I know nothing is final but this is depressing.

Donnie Walsh met with Avery Johnson for several hours today in Houston, one day after the Knicks president interviewed Suns head coach Mike D’Antoni.

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/knicks/2008/05/walsh-meets-with-avery-in-hous.html

but a couple of their hosts insisted that it was closer than what consensus had since indicated.

until he can resolve his worsening case of vasocongestivitis.

I’ve talked to some other parents of middle school age kids (sorry ahead of time…I know you hate it when I bring this stuff up) and they are thourougly disgusted by the news coming out of the White Sox.

there’s no need to break the bank for him. Even if the bulls do sign him, it isn’t a perfect match.

Cuban isn’t telling the media that the financial terms may “complicate” things and could kill the deal. Most likely, they’re simply taking time working out all of the underlying details.

The Bulls on the other hand, they want to pose and posture, but then they play the “we’re not sure if we have enough money” game. Didn’t they know how much they were on the hook with Skiles for and didn’t they know the neighborhood of the figure that D’Antoni would be requesting BEFORE they spoke to him? I would say yes.

I know that it can take time to sign someone. But don’t jump in the pool and then after 5 minutes say that it’s too cold.