Boston assistant Tom Thibodeau may be good fit for Bulls
By K.C. Johnson / Chicago Tribune
Monday, May 24, 2010 - Added 19h ago
E-mail Print (4) Comments Text size Share Buzz up!After the Boston Celtics [team stats]’ brief practice ended Sunday, associate head coach Tom Thibodeau strolled the court, first talking to Kevin Garnett and later, at length, to Brian Scalabrine.
Garnett is a 13-time All-Star who could be enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame one day. Scalabrine wore street clothes Saturday night as an inactive.
"That’s the thing about Tom: He relates to all of us, and we have a lot of strong personalities," Scalabrine said. "It’s not an easy thing being a coach in the NBA because players are always skeptical. You have to know exactly what you’re talking about because if you’re wrong for one second, players will get on you.
"Tom’s attention to detail is top-notch. And it’s more than all the stories you hear about him watching tons of film. It’s his ability to go over film and then teach it. He does a really good job of explaining what we need to do, and also being open to things the players see.
"As much as I’d hate to see him go, Chicago would be an unbelievable fit for him."
League sources confirmed the Bulls have requested permission to interview Thibodeau - who is not permitted to talk to media, a team rule for assistant coaches - for their head coaching vacancy. That interview could occur during the Celtics’ break between the Eastern Conference finals and NBA Finals if they finish off their 3-0 lead over the Magic.
In his only public comments since dismissing Vinny Del Negro on May 4, general manager Gar Forman said the Bulls are in "no rush" to hire somebody and the search could extend into June or, less likely, July.
But if the Bulls want to hire Thibodeau, 50, they might have to hurry. The Hornets are expected to interview the defensive guru for a second time in the near future.
"Tom puts in tireless hours," Celtics All-Star Paul Pierce [stats] said. "When I come in the gym late at night, he’s always in his office watching film, figuring out a defensive game plan for the next opponent."
The Magic are shooting just 39.4 percent in this series, strengthening Thibodeau’s defensive resume. During the Celtics’ 2008 title run, Kobe Bryant praised Thibodeau by claiming he had "an unfair advantage" because Thibodeau used to drill a teenage Bryant while working as a 76ers assistant.
Bryant shot 40.5 percent during those 2008 Finals.
In 18 NBA seasons with the Timberwolves, SuperSonics, Spurs, 76ers, Knicks, Rockets and Celtics, Thibodeau’s teams have finished in the top 10 defensively 15 times.
"But this idea that he’s this defensive guru, to me, does him a disservice," Jeff Van Gundy said Saturday before broadcasting Game 3 for ESPN. "People try to make him out to be one-dimensional, which couldn’t be further from the truth. He has a very bright offensive mind. He was great with special situations. And what he doesn’t get enough credit for is his ability to relate to players."
Van Gundy hired Thibodeau with the Knicks and Rockets. His loyalty to Thibodeau is palpable: One question produced a nearly three-minute response.
"His personality gets dissected by people who don’t even know him," Van Gundy said. "All I know is he’s always related to the most difficult of stars and the best of stars. If you can relate to the best players, you have no trouble relating to everybody else.
"What I’ve always appreciated is he’s not a yes man. He has his own ideas. And whatever job he’s been given along the way, he’s done exceptionally well. So why would anyone doubt he’d be able to make the next step?
He sometimes gets a bad rap because he’s serious about the game and works hard at his job. Really? Those are bad things? Any team would be lucky to have him."
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