Just like I once thought with Britney, I didn't think it could get any worse for the Chicago Bulls.
Once Scott Skiles was fired, I was sure that the bleeding would stop and, at worst, this team would continue to stay the same level of crappy, rather going completely down the tubes.
I was wrong.
It wasn't just because Joakim Noah had a heated discussion that turned into a one day coaching suspension for Noah by his coach—and then another by his teammates.
It wasn't because the Atlanta Hawks beat the Bulls by a significant margin on Sunday.
No, the Bulls complete destruction is due to the fact not only has the team been playing the same lackluster style of play that they exhibited during Skiles' tenure, but they are still being coached in the same manner and young guys still aren't getting quality minutes.
For new coach Jim Boylan's first three games, all was right in the world—hey, it was the Christmas season—and it seemed like the team was headed in the right direction. And then, as if their New Year's resolution was to start sucking again, the Bulls went right back to their old ways in 2008, with obviously the same old result.
JamesOn Curry was brought up from the Developmental League for several weeks and then sent back down (on his birthday no less, what is it with this team and holiday demotions)—without seeing one minute of play.
I won't say that Joakim Noah had a right to get loud and disrespectful with Ron Adams, but I have to think that this young, energetic rookie has to be disappointed and frustrated both with his status on the team—only getting garbage minutes despite playing well when he does get on the floor—and the putrid state of their play in general.
What's most frustrating is that the Bulls are a team that last year won 49 games and 47 the prior season. Granted that was in a bad Eastern Conference, but thats a lot of wins, and they had been playing good ball up until this season.
The 2007-2008 Chicago Bulls, on the other hand, are at the point where they need an intervention. No, I don't want Dr. Phil in the locker room. But it's clear that the Bulls need two significant changes right away: a new head coach (from outside of the organization—I don't want Pete Meyers running this squad), and a major trade—with mutiple players involved and possibly multiple teams. And I mean starters being dealt, a real change to the makeup of the team.
Right now, hearing the talk of change from the Bulls' front office is just like someone on my roof throwing water out of a bucket and telling me its raining. If this was all the John Paxson was going to do to turn-around the team, then he may as well have kept Scott Skiles.
Skiles wouldn't have let the players vote on another player getting suspended.
Which is worse—a discplinarian like Skiles running the team with mutiny on the horizon or a soft coach like Boylan who allows the team to fall into anarchy?
John Paxson needs to decide that neither is an option and make the move to start from scractch. If he doesn't, the next person who might be overthrown might be him.
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