Ty1, Scott Skiles, and the same page

by Robbo on Jul 11, 2006 6:08 PM CDT

"We never got along. It's hard to play for someone you're not communicating with. I'm the type of person ... I want to be on the same page, and we never reached that. It just didn't work for me."

--Former Bulls forward Tyson Chandler, talking on "The Best Damn Sports Show Period," about his issues with coach Scott Skiles.

--This from Fred Mitchell's column in the Trib today.

Because it's summer, and because there's not much else to talk about, does anyone else want to consider the implications of this quote? Here are two possibilities--and let me assure you that these are reckless, profitless, heat-crazed ideas.

1. Ty2 could very, very quickly fall into disfavor with Skiles. Why? Well, to me the quote suggests that Skiles is impatient--to the point of being hostile--with people who are (to put it gently) stupid. Or hardheaded. Or unwilling (or unable) to learn or improve or adapt. Last year Tyson was essentially the same player he was when he first came into the league. Skiles was clearly exasperated with him, starting with his lazy summer routine and continuing to the end of the season, when he was still making dopey one-and fouls. Over and over Skiles would say, "We just want Tyson to run and jump and play smart. It's very simple. Once he does that, he can make a difference." He never did.

Ty2 may be a different case. He may be a quick learner, he may play smart, he may respond well to tough coaching. But something tells me no. Which also tells me that he could quickly turn into trade bait.

2. Pax's protestations to the contrary, Gordon might suffer the same fate. There were hints of a spat between Skiles and Gordon sometime around mid-season. And Gordon, too, despite his awesome talent, made the same mistakes over and over (the uncontrolled high dribbles, the thoughtless passes, the tendency to drive into the lane without thinking about what he'd do once he got there). I don't know how much longer Skiles could tolerate that.

Skiles's "page" is basically: Learn the system. Do the little things right. Keep improving. Don't make stupid mistakes. If you're not on it . . .

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Paxson and Skiles...

both wanted Tyrus Thomas. I find it hard to believe that Pax would have drafted a player who wouldn't fit in with Skiles' system. Whatever "Something" is, it certainly isn't important enough to cite. I hate bad sportswriting.

by Paxson Jackson @ Blog a Bull on Jul 11, 2006 6:36 PM CDT reply actions

'something'

I think those are the poster's words, not the sportswriter.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jul 11, 2006 6:44 PM CDT up reply actions

oops...

Summer league action has me delirious, but not delirious enough return fire at Tyrus Thomas haters.

by Paxson Jackson @ Blog a Bull on Jul 11, 2006 6:46 PM CDT reply actions

Hey, whoa--

I should have made it clear: the quote at the top of the post is the the only thing that came from Mitchell's column. The rest is my (as I said) reckless, profitless thinking.

All I really wanted to know was: Does the quote tell you anything you didn't already know about Ty1 or Skiles? I'm kind of obsessed with Skiles--and with the relationship between coaches and players in general--and the quote just sort of . . . struck me.

by Robbo on Jul 11, 2006 6:58 PM CDT reply actions

links and quotes please

It'd clear up the confusion if you used the handy blog tools.

I'm with you on Skiles. His low tolerance for fools is obvious. You don't have to be a scholar but at least know where you should be on the court.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jul 11, 2006 7:00 PM CDT up reply actions

Attitude matters

with the Bulls and Skiles the attitude matters. I assume though since they drafted him (and not only that traded to get him) they checked him out thoroughly.

Chandler never went through that same draft process, in fact Krause didn't even check if Tyson had working hands.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jul 11, 2006 6:58 PM CDT reply actions

link?

I had no idea Ty1 had issues with Skiles

by preverbal on Jul 11, 2006 7:26 PM CDT reply actions

You couldn't

tell watching the games? Remember the game when Tyson was called for a foul and had to be taken out and he kept chirping at the refs and Skiles got up and got right in his face and told him to shut up?

I can't wait for Iowa football!!

by sue369 on Jul 11, 2006 7:52 PM CDT up reply actions

exit interview

Here's an interview with Chandler the day he got traded. Tyson's not mad at Skiles, or thought he was singled out, he just said he didn't like Skiles' style of 'not communicating' with him enough through his mistakes.

http://670thescore.com/includes/news_items/49/1110/tyfull.mp3

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jul 11, 2006 8:25 PM CDT up reply actions

This always happens

Has anyone ever been traded (in any sport for that matter) and in their exiting press statement said:

"I should have worked harder"

"Maybe this was my fault"

No. They never do. It's always about the coach/organization/other players that didn't accommodate them. BS.

Hey Tyson, you don't see Skiles and Pax talking to the press asking why you couldn't develop a SINGLE post move in 5 years. 5 YEARS! Do you know what normal people accomplish in 5 years? In 5 years, I could probably learn 4 foreign languages, get a masters, earn a black belt in karate, and become a marathon runner. Take some responsibility and realize that communication is a two-way street.

OK, sorry. I just had to get that off my chest. Rant over.

In Pax we Trust!

by Jobu on Jul 11, 2006 9:33 PM CDT up reply actions

I'm lazy

and I won't be bothering to get quotes to back this up, but Tyson came pretty close to saying he needed to work harder. I'm not a Ty1 apologist, but it's worth noting that he said any shortcomings in his relationship with Skiles were his fault. Of course, you don't get that in the quote above. Read the rest of his comments though, and they seem pretty innocuous.

by CookDing on Jul 12, 2006 8:19 AM CDT up reply actions

Boozer ins't in the same category as...

...KG or O'Neal. He's a glorified garbage man. Plus, his attitude has looked pretty crappy over the past two years.

by jamestkirk on Jul 11, 2006 8:27 PM CDT reply actions

"reckless, profitless thinking"

That's about right. I'm not trying to be a jerk, I just don't see how you can make that assessment this early. We're not even to pre-season. This is like reading tea leaves without the leaves.

It's an interesting thought, though...

by jamestkirk on Jul 11, 2006 8:31 PM CDT reply actions

I like Boozer...

...as a fantasy player. He helped me win my league one year. But he gets most of his points by hustling and taking out the trash. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just you don't run the offense through him, like you do with KG and O'Neal.

Injuries, bloated contract, questionable attitude...he's not the guy.

by jamestkirk on Jul 11, 2006 9:28 PM CDT reply actions

He does have the best chest hair in the league

But, as you said, the injuries and bloated contract are big time red flags.

You know Isiah's just dying to get him though...

In Pax we Trust!

by Jobu on Jul 11, 2006 9:41 PM CDT up reply actions

Plus

The three-headed monster -- PJ, Tryus and Noc -- will collectively get the same numbers at the 4 spot.

by jamestkirk on Jul 11, 2006 9:31 PM CDT reply actions

Links

This is Mitchell's column; go all the way to the bottom for the quote.

And this is the source of the original interview, which for some reason I couldn't upload.

by Robbo on Jul 11, 2006 9:38 PM CDT reply actions

I was kinda of joking about the 3-headed

...monster. But they probably will get the same (or more) numbers from the 4.

In Cleveland, they ran the low-post O through Zadruenes (sic). Utah runs a very diciplined offense, not all that unlike the Bulls -- being a premiter jump-shooting team. If the floor is spaced it was due to Okur and AK-47 drawing opposing bigs away from the rim, not by Boozer's presence in the post. Instead, he was able to run around scooping up the misses in a relatively unclutterd space.

He's a decent player, he's just not the answer. Besides, it's not going happen...so I don't know what we're talking about.

by jamestkirk on Jul 11, 2006 10:05 PM CDT reply actions

emeka

at this point, it seems impossible for the bulls to be able to trade for okafor, but isnt he a free agent next year? maybe they could go after him to be the PF, with Wallace at C

by hongydraw on Jul 12, 2006 8:44 AM CDT reply actions

in 2 years

The Bobcats picked up his 4th year last year.

by Paxson Jackson @ Blog a Bull on Jul 12, 2006 9:06 AM CDT up reply actions

darn

i think that he would be a good fit for the bulls

by hongydraw on Jul 12, 2006 4:02 PM CDT up reply actions

Interview

It's interesting how the press plays this stuff up. I heard the entire interview from 670 AM (I didn't see the best damn interview however) and Tyson was just being candid and saying that he really didn't have much of a relationship or communication with Skiles. He didn't bash him or blame him or anything and he took responsibility for the type of year he had. Then I saw a headline saying something like "Tyson takes parting shot at Skiles". Listen to that interview in the link posted above by Matt. Now like I said, I didn't see the best damn sports show, so he very well may have said more there, but I highly doubt it.

by bigballa10 on Jul 12, 2006 9:47 AM CDT reply actions

yeah

i saw that headline, chandler takes parting shot a skiles....i thought it was stupid because chandler in the radio interview specifically said something like 'im not taking a shot at him' or something.

by hongydraw on Jul 12, 2006 4:01 PM CDT up reply actions

Okafor & Tyson

Of course Skiles was upset with tyson. Tyson had the athletcisim skiles and the rest of the team doesnt. And so far in his career he has let it go to waste. Skiles worked his ass off to be half the player tyson was supposed to be on a bad night...so he couldnt see why tyson wasnt preforming.

would u really want okafor. He seems ot get injured alot...both in NBA and College....but having gordon/okafor would be nice

by milesgmsu on Jul 12, 2006 8:54 PM CDT reply actions