http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cs-080603-chicago-bulls-coach-search,0,5447865.story

In fact, there were unconfirmed signals the Bulls also might interview Jazz assistant Tyrone Corbin and Rockets assistant Elston Turner again. Turner, with 11 seasons of assistant coaching experience, would fit the profile mentioned in a Tribune report that said Paxson planned to interview a veteran coach whom nobody had identified.

The Bulls aren’t believed to have much interest in Flip Saunders, whom Detroit fired on Tuesday. Sources said Pistons assistant Michael Curry, a candidate high on the Bulls’ list when this search began, would succeed Saunders in Detroit.

Screw Flip Saunders, hire Elston Turner! I guess most people here would rather have him, since unlike Flip Saunders, Elston Turner has never “choked” in the playoffs. Of course, that’s because no one ever thought of hiring the guy before, but why let details get in the way?

So Saunders lost in the Eastern Conference finals with the 2nd best team in the Eastern Conference. Seems about right.

As for last year… I believe that was a combination of LeBron and Rasheed’s “time to kill my team’s season” clock going off.

This Bulls news is a daily soap opera. Here is what I am going to believe: Paxson and Reinsdorf have the relationship that they have stated to the media. Paxson picks the candidates, and Reinsdorf has veto power, but otherwise lets Paxson make the call. I’m going with that because everything else is bizarro world material.

I’m not pushing Flip, but I don’t think the lack of respect issue will follow him here. He’s not replacing LB, a coach Sheed appearingly was in love with, nor is he replacing a coach who took a team to two consecutive finals. He’s replacing Jim Bleeping Boylan. Chicago would be a clean slate opportunity for him.

Saunders can coach offense, he can coach strong minded all-stars, superstars, and he can take you to point B. Isn’t that all we’re expecting out of Doug? And Saunders plays young guys, evidenced by Stuckey and even Amir this year, though I’m sure fans would have liked to see them play more. I remember when people said Flip wasn’t playing Darko, but then Darko got exposed.

Just get this over with before the weekend already,

I dont know enough about Collins to know if he can adjust to coaching a different game he has left. He seems to a be good defensive coach and if he can run some and still get the Bulls to execute in the half court and if as an organization the Bulls demand he stick to young players and teach them it can succeed. But thats a lot of ifs… I am not sure if its worth that many ifs…
Flip on the other hand can teach a variety of team concepts both defensively and offensively and keep a good substitution pattern like he did in Detroit and he can develop players like he did KG, Stuckey, Maxiel etc… He even won games with Wally as his 2nd star for a while. I dont care if you have KG thats tough. Here is what I dont like though.. In Boston KG has made Doc look like a genius so maybe Minny was more KG than Flip, and Detroit I think the organization is so strong and players developed because of the organization not Flip. So I am not sure he is good enough of a coach to warrant this team right now. All these assistants out there are too unproven, Avery is too weird for Paxon, Mark Jackson doesnt have experience Van Gundy wont leave his ESPN gig and he is not good young teams coach. I just want to know how come no one has mentioned Terry Porter, he was a good coach does any one know why he hasnt gotten offers yet? I just dont see a candidate out there thats good enough right now… We need something out of left field right now to make this right. This team has so much potential and a lucky number 1 pick.. So many options, so many ways to improve and even make big deals if needed to really be championship material. I think we can get there if not in one year, in two… Can we just hire Phil back…

When I first skimmed/read the ploy for Flip, I was surprised…I haven’t been a big Flip fan, he like Avery was handed a great team and he didn’t seem to motivate them to get them over that hump. He also has done this in the past….

But then I thought about the alternatives at this point 1) Rookie Coaches 2) Doug Collins 3) Avery Johnson 4) Flip Saunders and I thought

Yeah given what we have, Flip’s success as a coach (avg almost 49 wins a yr—-which equals the most we’ve won in the 10 yrs post Jordan in 1 season, he’s avgd)....and I thought, well really if I were a coach, how could I handle the crazy Rasheed Wallace?

I couldn’t handle Wallace and his emotions, I don’t think even Phil Jackson’s zen like self would be able to calm Wallace down when the emotions rule over his talent/game….

So I thought, the fact that Saunders got this team to the ECF 3 straight yrs and 2 of those 3 yrs they saw some ‘Sheed meltdowns (1 of them, they faced a ridiculously hot Heat team that I don’t think anyone would have beaten in a 7 game series at that moment—-the Mavs were the better team the entire year, but the Heat were playing fabulous basketball the last 2 months of that season/post season…..and had the best stretch of them all).....

I think given the Sheed factor (coupled with the complaining of Rip) And the entitlement clauses that those good to great Pistons teams seem to play with a bit too much, that nobdoy could control them. It’s why Larry Brown left when he did, becasue I think even he saw the writing on that wall….and we all have seen how Big Ben has acted away from the Palace….i think the rest of those guys (Rip, Tayshawn, especially Sheed) have that same mentality, if not worse so…..I do like Sheed actually, though I’m glad he’s not on my team….and I would trade Deng and chump change for Tayshawn in a heartbeat… (Prince is one of the most underrated players in the game).

But anyway, yeah I think Saunders might be a great choice….I would be more eager to see him add the offensive fluidity to our team that we sorely lack. I think it was our awful drop in offense that negatively affected our defense….and while Flip has a reputation as a guy who focuses only on offense, those Pistons teams’s defense was as good as ever with Flip at the helm—and without the once great defender Big Ben Wallace….

So yeah I’d fully endorse Flip Saunders….Matt you converted me!

Now we just have to get Jerry R to think the same way.

So… it will take another eternity to Pax make decision. Just like he thought too much to go for Gasol and for Garnet and for Kobe… Come on Pax, just decide the damn coach so you can decide the damn pick and the damn trades the Bulls will have to make before the season begins!!! Urgency man!