Chicago Bulls: On the Boldness of Tom Thibodeau

The Bulls defeated the Heat 96-86 in an overtime thriller, sans the overtime period. The game had playoff implications, in more ways than one, but it was also the quintessential example of just how different these coaches truly are.

Derrick Rose (ankle) was back in the lineup for Chicago, but was ineffective. The reigning MVP played just 25 minutes, shot one of 13 from the field and finished with a paltry two points, a career low.

While Rose chipped in eight assists to go with his Joel Anthony-matching two points, he was clearly out of sync. His shots were flat, his feet were a little more than immobile and he wasn’t exuding any confidence. He was probably hurting as well.

What did coach Thibs do? He benched him. Regardless of how mutual the benching may have been, it was a bold move.

As Rose struggled to find his rhythm on the offensive end, the Bulls looked utterly disjointed. Their spacing was terrible and there was absolutely zero flow. With the playoffs so close, Thibs easily could have stuck with Rose. It may have meant losing the game, but the team has to get used to playing with Rose again.

However, he relegated him to the bench instead. He also sat Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah down the stretch too. And you know what? It worked.

Obviously, you cannot help but wonder how Boozer and Noah would handle said benching if it became a habit. Both athletes boast vibrant personalities and are unlikely to take repeated absences throughout crunch time in selfless strides. But Thibs doesn’t care.

This is a coach without a well-deserved contract extension on the table, and subsequently, is a coach who doesn’t care what people think, as long as he believes he made the right decision. This year, he’s made plenty of those. He has coached the Bulls to the best record in the NBA amid a truncated-schedule that has claimed the livelihood of his best player, he has driven the team to become the second best defensive stopper in the league and has designed a system that incorporates the strengths of all his players.

Impressed? You should be, because even without Rose on the floor the Bulls are title contenders. Hell, take Boozer and Noah out of the equation, and you’ve still got, at the very least, a bona fide playoff team.

What we’ve seen from Taj Gibson, Kyle Korver and C.J. Watson has been great, but what we’ve seen from Thibodeau is even better.

A coach rarely receives recognition when the wins pile up, but is often the first one out the door when the going gets tough. Well, the going has certainly gotten tough in Chicago this season, yet the club has navigated through the trials and tribulations almost seamlessly. And that’s on Thibs just as much as it is on his players.

The Bulls’ head coach is not afraid to create waves or make the unpopular decision, and he doesn’t shy away from adversity. He faces it head on, borderline embracing it. You don’t see that from many coaches, especially the ones who are tasked with directing a multitude of superstar egos.

But Thibs isn’t just any old coach. He’s been an anchor of stability for a team that hasn’t seen anything close to a steady rotation, and he’s continued to coach his ass off despite the blatant lack of appreciation from Chicago’s front office. His poise and execution under pressure is as poetic as a Derrick Rose highlight reel; his approach to his contractual contract, Rose’s injury and everything in between has been flawless.

This should all come as no surprise, though. It’s just Thibs being Thibs.