Less than two seasons into Fred Hoiberg’s tenure as Tom Thibodeau’s successor, the Chicago Bulls may have seen enough.
From ESPN.com’s Marc Stein:
The latest chatter on the coaching grapevine, meanwhile, tells us that the toastiest seat on the NBA map at present belongs, rightly or wrongly, to the Chicago Bulls’ Fred Hoiberg.
The Bulls’ largely disappointing play in December, on the heels of a non-playoff season, has put Hoiberg under earlier-than-expected pressure, according to league sources.
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Yet sources told ESPN.com this week that the Bulls have been increasingly assessing the coaching fit as well, sparked by an ongoing dip in the team’s level of play and consistency that began with an unraveling at home on Dec. 13 from 21 points up against the Minnesota Timberwolves and a certain Tom Thibodeau.
Stein notes that Hoiberg isn’t alone on his scorching-hot seat. The front office duo of John Paxson and Gar Forman is right there with him—as it should be.
Truth told, it’s hard to pin any of the Bulls’ recent slide on Hoiberg. For the second consecutive season, the roster he’s manning doesn’t fit the bill for his spready offense.
Rajon Rondo, who is currently out of the rotation, and Dwyane Wade were never going to prop up a top-tier offense as the starting backcourt. Robin Lopez and Taj Gibson, while quality contributors, don’t stretch defenses as the starting frontcourt. And some of the Bulls’ best floor spacers either don’t actually space the floor (Nikola Mirotic) or cannot stay healthy enough or get open enough (Doug McDermott) to make the necessary impact.
Put another coach in charge of this roster, and it’ll be tough for him to get more out of Chicago’s latest iteration—no matter said candidate’s track record. A new face might be able to improve the Bulls’ blase defense a tick, but the offense, and its league-worst three-point shooting, won’t find much solace in Hoiberg’s departure.
