Windhorst: Sam Mitchell won't be returning

[TeamRicky [enjin:6648771]]

I think there are several good coaching options (Thibs, JVG, Brooks, Atkinson) so I'm not 100% behind anyone. The main reason I like Thibs is for his abilities as a defensive whiz, but Van Gundy's defenses were also near the best in the league during his tenure. I am not sure which one I prefer, but if Thib's did in fact lose the locker room in Chicago, I might prefer to go with Van Gundy who is also 4 years younger. Can anyone shed some light on the identity of the Bulls players who supposedly ripped on Thibs from the article Cool posted? I assume one was Derrick Rose, who would the others be?

[Monster]

It is interesting to me that Van Gundy seems to be going hard after this job. I did not expect him to really go after the job. I thought he was probably done coaching but maybe he is compelled to fulfill Flip's vision which he knows well about. I have this feeling that Glen is going to go for JVG if he really is enamored with what SVG is doing in Detroit as reports suggest. But who knows what Glen feels about Thibs. A JVG/Thibs partnership would be fantastic, say if Jeff was hesitant to get back to the coaching grind.

After listening to the vertical podcast I referenced in an earlier post it confirmed some of what Inthought of why he hasn't coached the last few years. One factor was him wanting to be with his family a bit more. The larger factor is that he wants to be completely on the same page as ownership and the front office. JVG is a quirky guy and he may be media savy and all that but he is still gonna tell you like he sees it and isn't gonna just desperately gonna try and sell himself just to get a job. When he is going to interviews he is basically interviewing the team and franchise pretty hard himself. On top of that if he wants final say in personnel matters (not sure if that's the case but he obviously wanting significant say and a partnership with a team. There hasn't been a fit for him with teams with all that going on so far. I still think when it comes to JVG you are getting a coaches coach a guy that's more old school than people seem to think off the tip of their head.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

If you just limit yourself to Cam's thoughts on Thibodeau, I'm not sure you're getting the whole picture. In an attempt to stay fair and balanced:

http://nba.nbcsports.com/2015/05/28/report-at-least-3-bulls-starters-ripped-tom-thibodeau-during-exit-interview/

Not sure how much I believe this. Seems like Paxson leaked that to save face. Hard to fire a coach with the production Thibs had without taking some heat for it. Easier to do if you leak a rumor about "at least three starters" wanting him gone. Can you even think of which three starters that would be? Maybe Rose? Maybe Dunleavy? I don't know why either of them would, but I just can't see Butler, Noah, Gasol or Gibson speaking bad about him. Probably not even true.

"That's all that needed to be said -- expectations were high, and Thibodeau didn't meet them from a pure performance standpoint. But instead, the organization feels the need to justify its decision by belittling Thibodeau on his way out the door, when he has exhibited nothing but class publicly throughout this process."

That link was still worth posting, though, so thanks for that.

[60WinTim]

Just finished catching up on this thread. Good stuff.

I was a little surprised how hurt LST was at Sam being let go. But I have a hard time viewing it as "a firing". He was only ever the "interim" head coach for the season. Never was there a commitment he could be the head coach beyond this season. If LST wants to be put off with "Sam not being considered for the full time job", then so be it.

As for the next head coach, I am hard pressed to believe it would be anyone other than Thibs. His forte is defense. This team's achilles heal was defense. He has a winning track record. And the piece that cinches it is KG.

I will be stunned if the next head coach is not Thibs. And like Cam, I think he is a perfect fit for this team.

[Monster]

Just finished catching up on this thread. Good stuff.

I was a little surprised how hurt LST was at Sam being let go. But I have a hard time viewing it as "a firing". He was only ever the "interim" head coach for the season. Never was there a commitment he could be the head coach beyond this season. If LST wants to be put off with "Sam not being considered for the full time job", then so be it.

As for the next head coach, I am hard pressed to believe it would be anyone other than Thibs. His forte is defense. This team's achilles heal was defense. He has a winning track record. And the piece that cinches it is KG.

I will be stunned if the next head coach is not Thibs. And like Cam, I think he is a perfect fit for this team.

Britt wrote in his column that he thought Sam's firing wasn't handled well. I think it could have been handled better but the guy that it matters the most to Sam seemed at peace with everything. Taylor did do an about face that basically nobody expected when it came to doing a total search for new leadership. Milt is probably the more shell shocked of the two.

Jon K made a pretty good point about KG's input that he probably doesn't have much of any because if it was up to him Sam may still be the coach. Hiring Thibs would obviously be a nice fit assuming KG comes back though but I think at this point that's a bonus not any type of deciding factor. Ultimately I think KG buys in no matter who the coach is. Some coaches are probably going to empower him to say more than others and when it comes to practices and working with players.

[BizarroJerry [enjin:6592520]]

Maybe I'm too fond of JVG as an analyst, just checked out his coaching record. Others pointed out here already he hasn't coached in 10 years, also hasn't won a playoff series in 17. So maybe we should curb our enthusiasm over JVG??? I still think he'd do well here (Steve Kerr never won a playoff series either before winning it all, so there's that too)

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Maybe I'm too fond of JVG as an analyst, just checked out his coaching record. Others pointed out here already he hasn't coached in 10 years, also hasn't won a playoff series in 17. So maybe we should curb our enthusiasm over JVG??? I still think he'd do well here (Steve Kerr never won a playoff series either before winning it all, so there's that too)

If we couldn't get Thibs, I'd be happy with JVG. My concern would be can he adapt as a coach to the style of basketball played today rather than bringing out his decade old playbook. I think he'd do a good job.

(From all things I've seen, Thibs wants the job and he's on top of MIN's list.)

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

I'm a guy who values defense, so I am intrigued by the success Thibs has had on that side of the ball. But ultimately I come down on the side of finding a younger guy (either from college or an NBA assistant) who can grow with this young team, as opposed to hiring a recycled guy who was just fired. Yes, hiring a coach with no NBA head coaching experience holds some risk, but I also think there is much more upside with a new face. That's why I like the recent Brad Stevens hiring better than the George Karl one. And even though there's not enough data yet to evaluate them, I like the Hoiberg and Donovan hirings too. I hope the Wolves go in a similar direction.

One thing we can be sure of is that Glen will be the ultimate decision maker here, and I can't see Glen choosing Tom Thibodeau. Glen is going to very wary of reports of Thibs' issues with management and dissatisfaction from three of his starters. How about three starters saying they wouldn't use the club workout facilities this summer if Thibs were around...yikes! I can see why Glen believed he needed to make a change because Sam had lost the support of the media and fan base, and I think he will be looking for someone considerably smoother with respect to PR...and that's not Thibs.

My personal choice right now would be Kevin Ollie. I understand he is locked into a 5-year contract with UConn, but I don't think Glen would be adverse to buying him out. Unlike Thibs, Ollie is very much a Glen-type guy. Engaging personality, terrific leadership, actively involved in Fellowship for Christian Athletes (which Glen also supports), and an ability to connect deeply with his players. I think Glen liked how Sam related to his players (tough, but fun...anyone who ever watched a Wolves practice under Sam saw a good mixture of both of these elements), and would love to get a young guy who can connect to his young players...while also handling the media in a more adept fashion. Ollie makes just over a million at UConn and would likely be offered triple that from Glen, so the financial incentive would be strong. Also, three of his best players have declared for the NBA draft, so he may not be looking forward to starting over next year. I think he will be an excellent NBA coach.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

It's crazy how some of you perceive Thibs. You'd think he was a supreme malcontent by the way he's talked about. That's not the case. This guy is a coach for Team USA, for crying out loud. If he wasn't capable of being a team player and working with others, that would not be an option for him. Too much criticism thrown at Thibs, not enough at the Bulls FO, which has also garnered attention for being a bit wacky. Also, being fired isn't a bad thing. It depends on what you were fired for. Thibs was fired because he didn't bring a championship to Chicago (how could he with that injury-ridden roster) and they simply decided that they needed change. He made the playoffs every year and was usually an upper seed. He gave LeBron a tough time in the playoffs every year without having his best weapons available. I just don't see how you can knock him for not getting it done, which is ultimately the reason he was let go.

[Coolbreeze44]

Just finished catching up on this thread. Good stuff.

I was a little surprised how hurt LST was at Sam being let go. But I have a hard time viewing it as "a firing". He was only ever the "interim" head coach for the season. Never was there a commitment he could be the head coach beyond this season. If LST wants to be put off with "Sam not being considered for the full time job", then so be it.

As for the next head coach, I am hard pressed to believe it would be anyone other than Thibs. His forte is defense. This team's achilles heal was defense. He has a winning track record. And the piece that cinches it is KG.

I will be stunned if the next head coach is not Thibs. And like Cam, I think he is a perfect fit for this team.

I don't think even Cam believes Thibodeau is a perfect fit. Can he do a good job here? Yes, most likely in the short term. But he's far from perfect.

LST, I fall in line behind Ollie too. I keep waiting for his name to emerge as a candidate but so far I've heard nothing. I'd at least like to know if there is any mutual interest.