Chicago Bulls GM John Paxson knew he was taking a huge risk by hiring rookie coach Vinny Del Negro as his next coach of the Bulls. We all know how well rookie coaches have fared in Chicago since Phil Jackson left town after the 1997-98 season.
Chicago Bulls Head Coach Vinny Del Negro, left, talks with Joakim Noah in the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings in Chicago, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009. Chicago won the game 99-94. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
Names like Tim Floyd, Bill Cartwright, Jim Boylan (interim after the Scott Skiles firing) and now Del Negro have all walked the hallowed halls of the Berto Center with the unofficial title of “rookie head coach.” All have failed miserably, some setting the team back years in what feels like year 10 or 11 of the rebuilding project.
Now there’s rumblings behind the scenes that current Bulls rookie coach Vinny Del Negro may be losing the team:
- Larry Hughes grumbles about his lack of playing time to anyone who is willing to listen…
- KC Johnson from the Chicago Tribune outlines an in game argument between Andreas Nocioni and Joakim Noah in an ugly Bulls loss to the Cleveland Cavailers this past Saturday.
- Melissa Issacson of the Chicago Tribune reports that the Bulls are a beaten down team at the moment after a bad loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
- The Chicago Tribune also noted that after a New Years Eve matinee blowout by the hands of the Orlando Magic, Del Negro fined team members for eating in the locker room BEFORE the game…
- Sam Smith of Bulls.com blogs that the Bulls finally have freed themselves of defeat, if only for a day….
- Bill Hayes from the Chicago Sun-Times writes that the Bulls are stuggling towards a defining moment…
- Rick Morrisey of the Chicago Tribune suggests that the Bulls should eradicate themselves of problem child Joakim Noah for the sake of the team…
Are these signs that Vinny Del Negro is losing his team? I would have to say that these are definitely not signs that Del Negro has a firm grasp on the team, the way Scott Skiles had a grasp on the team when he was named Bulls coach.
The Bulls are definitely in a rebuilding mode around Del Negro and rookie point guard Derrick Rose. A .500 record is not out of the question for this Bulls team, but losing to the likes of the Minnesota Timberwolves doesn’t help the cause. More to come on this issue as the season progresses…
