I labled this Reinsdorf quote as amongst the 'good' portion of what he said regarding the coaching search:
But do the Bulls need to worry about perception?
(So far they haven't shown that they are worried (or they're bad at P.R.), as they have either sounded incompetent or impotent at every turn.)
Judging by the small (and admittedly odd) sample size that is this blog, most fans are either ambivalent or angry and some are questioning whether to keep their season tickets. I personally have declined to renew my partial ticket plan. Not that there is (or I'd advocate) some kind of mass boycott, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was some dent in the season ticket renewals this offseason.
More important than merely this subset of fandom, there's some evidence out there (the Trib site had similar results) amongst the general public that Avery Johnson is now their favorite choice. I don't think that's the case here, but it makes sense for the fanbase (trust me, I know that a couple online polls is flimsy evidence but I'll speculate on all Bulls fans behalf just the same) since the list of assistant coaches is full of relative unknowns, even if they may be better choices (as if I, or anyone, knows).
While I wouldn't go as far to say that any new coach would reinvigorate the fanbase like a star roster acquisition would, the organization has to have something to show for themselves to indicate that this season will be different, right? Sure, there's the thought that a lot of the roster just had a poor season and bringing the band back together is enough, but I don't know if there's enough goodwill anymore to pass it off to the city. This team didn't just disappoint last season, they were blasted by their own coaches and the media as losers and bad pros.
We know that a true roster shakeup is hard to do, and not very wise. So a hire like Avery Johnson accompanied with a lot of quotes about "discipline" and "work ethic" may be the more practical option with a similar result in perception. Not only could they emphasize those traits of Avery, but it'd signal that they won't be going with a rookie coach and the accompanying assumption that it comes with a development process.
I'm fairly convinced that the Bulls have no interest in development any more (some would ask if they ever have been, heh), It's been too soon after the post-dynasty abyss to try it again. So whether it's the right way to go or not, I don't foresee any roster stripping to rebuild, and (while I won't rule it out) a reason not to hire a rookie coach.