I always liked the way he coached in Chicago. He was never the best, but he built a solid foundation centered on defense and hard work - the Bulls just never had that extra piece to pair with Rose.
I don't know if his style is sustainable but for the young guys they should soak up every minute they can and ask for more. They will be better players for it and it will only help their bank accounts.
Was take a team that won 21 games, had essentially the same team and win 41. Also took a team that had a negative perception for at least 8 years (probably longer) and brought an upbeat optimism.
I’m not sure Leon Rose has done much in terms of player acquisition but he hit a home run with his coaching selection.
Was take a team that won 21 games, had essentially the same team and win 41. Also took a team that had a negative perception for at least 8 years (probably longer) and brought an upbeat optimism.
I’m not sure Leon Rose has done much in terms of player acquisition but he hit a home run with his coaching selection.
Thibs deserves all the accolades he gets. But, this wasn't the same team, even if some of the names were the same. Randle improved by leaps & bounds from the previous season, as did Barrett & Bullock. Additions of Noel, Burks, Gibson along with draft picks Toppin & Quickley added to the bench. The mid season acquisition of Rose gave them the spark that they needed. Thibs took a lot of new parts & improved parts, & molded them into a cohesive unit. And, with Robinson out for a good part of the season! A well deserved COY!
Was take a team that won 21 games, had essentially the same team and win 41.
I’ve read this take a lot and it’s just not true. Noel, Burks, Rose & Quickley were not on this team last year. All a big part of the team’s success. Noel was the second most valuable player on the team. They probably don’t win 30 games without them.
Leon Rose and Scott Perry assembling the team were a big part of its success. And they have they work cut out for them this off-season: Noel, Burks and Rose’s contracts are all expiring. Re-upping them to the multi-year deals they will be demanding would use up much of their cap space. Without that space, they can’t acquire the big star the team desperately needs to become true contenders.
gets some credit (at least) for Randle's emergence, Barrett's continued improvement and even Bullock. They encouraged Bullock to shoot the 3 ball this year when he was hesitant to do so.
Yes, they added some key vets (Burks, Noel, Rose), but there's no way this team wins 40 games without Thibs. Point being, if Fizdale is the head coach, they're a lottery team still.
At the same time, he relied on Elfrid Payton way too much, had no faith in Ntilikina and didn't trust any real minutes to Knox. Is it just that they couldn't be productive on the floor consistently or did he find the guys he trusted and never moved off of them unless absolutely necessary?
. . . this year the Knicks reminded me a lot of the post-lockout resurgent Rangers; and in that vein Thibs would be Tom Renney. Renney doesn't get a lot of credit historically but he took a franchise that was a laughingstock and turned it into a solid playoff team and one of the better defenses in the NHL.
I think the front office had an absolutely banner year (including the Thibs hire which I thought would be a trainwreck at the time). Hopefully they can do half as well this offseason.
As for Ntlinkina and Knox - I would love to see either/both emerge as real players and man, does it hurt to whiff on lottery picks. But at this point it's hard to believe there is much there. Maybe if they switch teams and get a fresh start? But we've been through multiple seasons and multiple coaches without either making much of an impact. At this point I would probably think of them as largely sunk costs.
gets some credit (at least) for Randle's emergence, Barrett's continued improvement and even Bullock. They encouraged Bullock to shoot the 3 ball this year when he was hesitant to do so.
Yes, they added some key vets (Burks, Noel, Rose), but there's no way this team wins 40 games without Thibs. Point being, if Fizdale is the head coach, they're a lottery team still.
At the same time, he relied on Elfrid Payton way too much, had no faith in Ntilikina and didn't trust any real minutes to Knox. Is it just that they couldn't be productive on the floor consistently or did he find the guys he trusted and never moved off of them unless absolutely necessary?
Thibs absolutely deserves a lot of credit. But if this year’s team was giving big minutes to Bobby Portis, Knox, Frank & Dennis Smith vs the guys they acquired, it’s still a lottery team.
I don't know if his style is sustainable but for the young guys they should soak up every minute they can and ask for more. They will be better players for it and it will only help their bank accounts.
I’m not sure Leon Rose has done much in terms of player acquisition but he hit a home run with his coaching selection.
I’m not sure Leon Rose has done much in terms of player acquisition but he hit a home run with his coaching selection.
Thibs deserves all the accolades he gets. But, this wasn't the same team, even if some of the names were the same. Randle improved by leaps & bounds from the previous season, as did Barrett & Bullock. Additions of Noel, Burks, Gibson along with draft picks Toppin & Quickley added to the bench. The mid season acquisition of Rose gave them the spark that they needed. Thibs took a lot of new parts & improved parts, & molded them into a cohesive unit. And, with Robinson out for a good part of the season! A well deserved COY!
I’ve read this take a lot and it’s just not true. Noel, Burks, Rose & Quickley were not on this team last year. All a big part of the team’s success. Noel was the second most valuable player on the team. They probably don’t win 30 games without them.
Leon Rose and Scott Perry assembling the team were a big part of its success. And they have they work cut out for them this off-season: Noel, Burks and Rose’s contracts are all expiring. Re-upping them to the multi-year deals they will be demanding would use up much of their cap space. Without that space, they can’t acquire the big star the team desperately needs to become true contenders.
Yes, they added some key vets (Burks, Noel, Rose), but there's no way this team wins 40 games without Thibs. Point being, if Fizdale is the head coach, they're a lottery team still.
At the same time, he relied on Elfrid Payton way too much, had no faith in Ntilikina and didn't trust any real minutes to Knox. Is it just that they couldn't be productive on the floor consistently or did he find the guys he trusted and never moved off of them unless absolutely necessary?
I think the front office had an absolutely banner year (including the Thibs hire which I thought would be a trainwreck at the time). Hopefully they can do half as well this offseason.
As for Ntlinkina and Knox - I would love to see either/both emerge as real players and man, does it hurt to whiff on lottery picks. But at this point it's hard to believe there is much there. Maybe if they switch teams and get a fresh start? But we've been through multiple seasons and multiple coaches without either making much of an impact. At this point I would probably think of them as largely sunk costs.
Yes, they added some key vets (Burks, Noel, Rose), but there's no way this team wins 40 games without Thibs. Point being, if Fizdale is the head coach, they're a lottery team still.
At the same time, he relied on Elfrid Payton way too much, had no faith in Ntilikina and didn't trust any real minutes to Knox. Is it just that they couldn't be productive on the floor consistently or did he find the guys he trusted and never moved off of them unless absolutely necessary?
Thibs absolutely deserves a lot of credit. But if this year’s team was giving big minutes to Bobby Portis, Knox, Frank & Dennis Smith vs the guys they acquired, it’s still a lottery team.