reflections
May 5th, 2008 D’Antoni or Avery?

With news of Mike D’Antoni being allowed to talk to other teams, the Bulls coaching search is starting to get interesting, and we have the Western Conference to thank for it. The Suns and Mavericks were knocked out in the first round not because of bad coaching, but because their teams ran into bad matchups. The Spurs have been the Suns kryptonite since D’Antoni was brought to the desert. It just so happens that is the team they drew. The Mavericks just so happened to run into a younger version of themselves in the Hornets. Luckily for the Bulls, the Suns and Mavericks overreacted opening the door to the Bulls landing two very good coaches.

Obviously, the decision will center on what kind of style Paxson wants to implement. If he wants to go back to being a defensive-minded half court team, then Avery Johnson should be the guy. If, for whatever reason, Johnson wants to take a year off, then Tom Thibodeau might be their next logical option. Most of the Bulls core have played in this style and even had success, but they fell flat on their faces this year. Could bringing in Johnson or Thibodeau and spending the summer bringing in another big men who can run the high screen and roll as well as a point guard to pair with Hinrich get the Bulls back on track? It is possible, but not necessarily likely.

D’Antoni bringing in his seven seconds or less style would be the sexy choice. It would cater to young bigs Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah whose best games came against teams who played up tempo styles. The problem would be Kirk Hinrich is not Steve Nash and with what will likely be the #9 pick in the 1st round, Derrick Rose will not be in the Bulls’ future either. D.J. Augustin would certainly be an interesting pick in D’Antoni’s system if he is still available. A true point guard who can get anywhere on the floor could go a long way in reviving the careers of Nocioni, Deng, and Gordon.  

In the end, the Knicks and Raptors might end up making the decision for Paxson. If either Bryan Colangelo or Donnie Walsh are more aggressive than Paxson, which does not require a stretching of the imagination, then D’Antoni could be off the market in a week or two. The team has already been beat to Rick Carlisle who was the first to interview for the Bulls job. Can Paxson and Reinsdorf get all their ducks in a row and reel in D’Antoni before Colangelo or the bright lights of MSG sweep him away? Either way, this should be a very important week for the future of the Bulls.

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