Apr

16

Boylan’s Days Numbered

Posted by Stephen Rhodes under Main 

???????????????????????????????????Chicago Bulls coach Jim Boylan (right)

Yes, it is true that the Chicago Bulls hired Jim Boylan to replace Scott Skiles as the team’s coach.? But he was hired on an “interim” basis.? Let’s visit the definition of the word “interim”, shall we?? Interim: Noun - An interval of time between one process, event, or period and another.? Adjective - Belonging to, serving during, or taking place during an intermediate interval of time; temporary.? Etymology - From Latin, such as, “in the meantime”.? Ifthe word is defined correctly, then certainly Bulls general manager Jim Paxson looks to be a man of his word; despite hearing very little from Paxson regarding Boylan’s status, you get the sense that he is as good as gone.? Unfortunately for Boylan, he was nothing more than a temporary gatekeeper until a permanent replacement came upon the horizon.

Which doesn’t mean that Paxson hasn’t contemplated coaching candidates - because you know he has.? Paxson said last Monday that he would meet with Boylan and his staff (read: issue pink slips) Thursday.? I could well imagine that the vast majority of Bulls’ players are thinking that Boylan will not be retained after the meeting; assuming that is the case, you can expect Paxson to immediately interview candidates for the vacancy.? And there’s several to choose from:

  • Rick Carlisle.? Pros: He worked?with Paxson’s brother, Jim, in Portland; Jim and Carlisle still are tight.? Ironically or not, Carlisle had interviewed for the Bulls coaching job but was passed over for Tim Floyd.? Carlisle was successful during his coaching stint at Indiana.? Cons: Carlisle is a hot commodity as he is also being mentioned elsewhere, such as Milwaukee.
  • Larry Brown.? Pros: Proven commodity in the NBA coaching ranks.? One of the best in the motivational department.? Cons: Let’s face it - Brown changes jobs almost as often as you and I change our socks; he is a nomad, by nature.? His ego is fragile; because of that, his coaching tenures do not tend to last very long.? A bad fit in Chicago, in my estimation.
  • Mark Jackson.? Pros: A fresh face and a former player in the league.? Obviously knows his basketball, if you watch him on the tube.? Could be similar to Reggie Theus who broke in with the Sacramento Kings.? Theus has grown into the job and has improved his team every year that he’s been in Sacramento; Jackson could be in the same mold.? Cons: First job in the league.? It’s unknown how he would get along with Paxson and Jerry Krause.? Also not known is how he would interact with the Bulls’ current roster of players.? The hiring of Jackson would be a “leap of faith” for Paxson and Krause.
  • Tom Thibodeau.? Pros: Current Boston Celtics assistant; the pedigree for success is there, at least.? Cons: Will get interest from other teams; the Knicks seem to be in the mix for Thibodeau.? He, like Jackson, would be taking his first NBA job if hired by Chicago.

I am sure others will come out of the woodwork, as the gig in Chicago is still, despite appearances, a plum gig.? It is just a shame that Boylan didn’t get the full season to prove himself in Chicago.? Perhaps part of Boylan’s downfall was the bar set up for him by Paxson when he was hired to replace Skiles.? In the beginning, he had incorporated an offensive and defensive style that was uniquely his own; however, over time, his style became suspiciously similar to his predecessors’.? You also have to consider his “people skills”; this isn’t to suggest that he is a ruthless dictator nor a Clark Kent-type of coach.? Just suggesting that his style - which I cannot clearly ascertain - isn’t conducive to a team being successful in the long-term.? I’m sure he will be successful wherever he may land, but unfortunately for Boylan, Chicago won’t be that destination.

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