Sunday, June 01, 2008 11:33 AM
Perry
John Paxson to Hire Doug Collins as Next Bulls Coach?
I have stayed away from the Doug Collins story on purpose. My first reason to avoid this whole episode stems from the fact it is speculation until the contract is actually signed. This point was already made by the
Tribune last week in an article that compared the Bulls situation to the Bears attempt to hire Dave McGinnis. Remember that debacle? Suffice it to say, I'm pretty confident that this isn't going to fall through. Doug Collins is going to be our next coach.
The second reason why I didn't want to touch this hiring is out of respect for you the reader, and for those that actually do a good job writing about the Bulls. [I read this Bulls site every once in awhile, and the analysis of this move is great. Go read it, and come back.] My interest in Bulls basketball was already waning before this year's spectacular let down. I've been going to fewer and fewer Bulls games over the years. I basically stopped writing about the Bulls on this site over 3 years ago. Oh sure, there was an occasional write up. We even had a dedicated Bulls fan/writer for awhile. I can't really explain it, I just don't care for the Bulls any more. I'll take it a step further. I think the Blackhawks have leapfrogged the Bulls in the fight for my ever thinning entertainment budget.
The Doug Collins hiring isn't going to help matters either. I'm not excited by this move. I question it, even after demoting myself to a casual Bulls fans. [I was a HUGE Bulls fan back in the day, just like the rest of you] I think John Paxson has made some some questionable decisions these past 18 months. Signing Hinrich, and Wallace were things that stood out. What really defines Paxson as a GM is all the missed opportunities. He missed the chance to get Kobe, T-Mac, Garnett, Gosal and now you can add a whole list of coaches.
There was a point made about Collins' coaching style by the Blog-A-Bull crew that I want to disagree with:
I'm afraid of another Skiles trait: an overeliance on trusted veterans at the expense of young players for the uninspiring goal of predictable mediocrity.
I don't think this happens. In fact, I think that Collins takes this opportunity to show how much he has learned about TODAY'S game from behind that desk. He sees the athleticism on the court. Besides, what veterans does he have to rely on with this roster? Gooden? I'm sure he also sees the same things that ruined NBA basketball for me: laziness, lack of attention to detail, poor shooting, and no offense. Collins won't end up with predictable mediocrity because he most likely will get Derrick Rose. There is nothing mediocre about Rose, and having a single outstanding talent amongst a team of so-so players should be familiar to Collins. I'd love to be wrong, but this "Chicago Guy" stuff shouldn't be taken this seriously. Not with a team that should have won the East this year.
Filed under: News, Bulls, Collins