per RotoWorld...


The Chicago Bulls fired coach Scott Skiles on Monday.

The Bulls, who did not name a replacement, announced the decision in a written statement from vice president John Paxson. "This was a difficult decision to make, but one that was necessary at this time," Paxson said. "Scott helped us in many ways during his time with the Bulls; most importantly, he helped this franchise get back to respectability." Dec. 24 - 12:33 pm et

Good For Them!

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3167808


Bulls coach Scott Skiles has lost his job as a result of his team's slow start.

The Bulls have lost three of their last four games and were booed throughout Saturday's home loss to the Rockets. Despite high expectations, the Bulls (9-16) have the third worst record in the Eastern Conference.

"This was a difficult decision to make, but one that was necessary at this time," general manager John Paxson said in a statement Monday. "Scott helped us in many ways during his time with the Bulls; most importantly, he helped this franchise get back to respectability. I am appreciative of his hard work and the imprint that he left on our team."

The Bulls said no decision has been made on a replacement for Skiles.

Ben Wallace said Saturday he would welcome personnel changes if it would help the club.

"That's one of those things that goes along with this league," said Wallace. "Change is not always bad. If everybody wants to be here we have to step it up and go out there and play basketball."

WTF? Already? Way to be on the ball UxKa.

Merry Christmas Scotty.

paging larry brown?

That's fucking cruel. Not undeserved, but cruel.

I was reading the Bulls Board earlier and they said that Tim Floyd was also fired on Christmas Eve a few years ago... Harsh

I was reading the Bulls Board earlier and they said that Tim Floyd was also fired on Christmas Eve a few years ago... Harsh
Yep, he was. The Bulls are a shady organization, but its the right move. Hopefully they'll rehire tim floyd to make this scenario great.

Yea but he still gets paid. Might be a lil blow to the ego, but I'm sure Skiles read on this is 'The Bulls are a fucked organization' so his ego won't be damaged too badly. Now he gets the holidays off, WITH PAY!

I understand the Bulls are doing much worse then expected but how is this anything more than an immediate stop-gap with the possibility of hurting the team in the long term? The real problem with the Bulls is their roster that is devoid of frontman offense. How could this early season poor play show Paxson that Skiles isn't who he wants as coach when the roster is good enough to really contend for something?

Stuff that in your stocking Skiles.

WTF? Already? Way to be on the ball UxKa.

Merry Christmas Scotty.

Actually Wil beat him to it by a minute.

LMAO @ Skiles & the Bull(shits)

nice pull Wil, beating out Uxka by a minute

and LMFAO @ the bulls, id laugh harder but we can't seem to beat them...

someone repost the kirk hinrich flip murray vid

The firings will continue until morale improves, Bull-bitches!

LOL, hope you like it out there Ben...

That's terrible.

paging larry brown?

o fuck

Wasn't Luol Deng supposed to be an All-Star this year??

He wins the Boris Diaw award for 2007

"Failure to take the next step"

he was a nice player all last year. he really put some things together that deserved attention.

but i swear, he looks good because he knocks down a lot of open jumpers or goes to the rim. i said as much last year. knocking down open jumpers doesnt make you an allstar, even if you take an inordinate amount of them for some reason.

i like the dude, but his game is not as far along as people seemed to think last year.

Wasn't Luol Deng supposed to be an All-Star this year??

He wins the Boris Diaw award for 2007

"Failure to take the next step"
Diaw?

Diaw's an interesting case. He was so quiet on Atlanta's bench that most people (including me) assumed he was a total Euro-dud. He would've won "failure to take the FIRST step", until the big season in Phoenix and big pay day. Unlike Deng, I don't think anyone had/had a clear vision of what Diaw's "next step" was. Is he a C, a PG, or what? Should he start, come off the bench, or what? He's not gonna be an All-Star, right? I suspect most reasonable people were expecting more "Tayshaun Prince" than a 20 ppg go-to guy out of Diaw, but it's really all over the map with him.

Deng was a lottery pick who's met (but not exceeded) most reasonable expectations thus far. He may be an All-Star yet, but there are many more-worthy selections for a coach at this point -- Pierce, Butler, Hedo at the rate he's going. I've never put Deng in a higher tier than Butler.

Diaw sucked last year, after having a great 05-06 season. Once he got his extension, he camped it in. He still is a mediocre player.

Diaw sucked last year, after having a great 05-06 season. Once he got his extension, he camped it in. He still is a mediocre player.
Yeah...frenchie got fat... He lost a lot of it before this season...but he is still sucking tet...

It's because Amare was injured for the whole year. Now that Amare is on the court, Diaw doesn't really have a spot out there.

Diaw basically fit a certain role and fit it well, but if he isn't in that exact role he's not anywhere near as good. If Phoenix had let him walk, he'd have gone to another team and been mediocre at best. Even moreso than he is right now.

Per WDFN: Michigan State and Tom Izzo come to terms on buyout; Izzo expected to be announced as Bulls coach on Thursday. Wow.

Thoughts?

Per WDFN: Michigan State and Tom Izzo come to terms on buyout; Izzo expected to be announced as Bulls coach on Thursday. Wow.

Thoughts?

lollerskatescopter

and whatnot

Robert Sarver...the vision to somehow acquire Boris Diaw. And when you look at Boris Diaw and what he has done to this franchise..it's changed everything. As we celebrate his brilliance, and when you talk to Boris Diaw..what a classical human being he is. It was 201 years ago today, that Beethoven's Symphony #3 in E Flat which [escorted] in the Age of Romanticism in music. And when I look at Boris Diaw, I think of Beethoven and the Age of the Romantics. This guy, has got it all.

Walton has grown on me a lot unfortunately...

Izzo to Bulls? Fuck. I wanted Izzo to Pistons. Chances of him leaving the Bulls for the Pistons after this year? lol

Doug Collins would complete the circle, jk

Typical NBA pattern would be to replace the hard ass with a "player's coach"

After tonight (Spurs) I wouldn't be surprised to see the Bulls go on a nice run (haven't checked their schedule, though).

I think they pretty much gave up on Skiles, Ben did for sure, IMO.

Pete Myers was a loudmouth as a player, interesting to see what kind of coach he'll be, even if it is for just one game.

Jim Boylan is expected to take over after tonight.

Interesting note on Jim Boylan, he's a former MSU assistant under Jud Heathcote.

A fella by the name of Jim Boylen is also a former MSU assistant under Heathcote (and Izzo) and was on the Houston Rockets staff back in the Hakeem days. Boylen is now the head coach of Utah (NCAA).

Kinda odd that two guys with the same (but different) name have both been assistants at MSU.

multiples of interesting

Bukdow already knew all that.

Bukdow already knew all that.
This matter was discussed extensively in the recent Harpers article on homophones. Don't you people know anything?

:)

Skiles is the type of coach that you can't have for any more than a couple of years. He is a disciplinarian. He gets people to listen to him by being in your face and yelling. And it works for a while. But after some time, that just goes through one ear and out the other.

Everyone has had a coach like that. Sometimes it works, but you can't just be angry all of the time. Skiles has never got that.

Skiles is the type of coach that you can't have for any more than a couple of years. He is a disciplinarian. He gets people to listen to him by being in your face and yelling. And it works for a while. But after some time, that just goes through one ear and out the other.

Everyone has had a coach like that. Sometimes it works, but you can't just be angry all of the time. Skiles has never got that.

Didn't we have a coach like that once?

"I hope nobody's feeling sorry for me because it's Christmas Eve," Skiles said. "In the real world, someone loses their job at Christmas and doesn't have money. Nobody should feel sorry for me. I got to coach my childhood team. What's better than that?

"It's a disappointing ending, but I also know it happens in pro sports. I guess I'm sounding flip, but I don't mean to be. This is a job where you serve at the pleasure of the owner and your boss."

He's always been a little prick but that's the right way to go out.

Boylan named Interim Head Coach for the remainder of the season

December 27, 2007 — Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations John Paxson announced today the team has appointed Lead Assistant Coach Jim Boylan to Interim Head Coach for the remainder of the 2007-08 season. Boylan’s role as the Bulls’ Interim Head Coach will begin immediately.

“After sitting down with Jim yesterday and discussing our team I feel comfortable giving him the interim head coaching position. Jim has paid his dues as an assistant coach and has his own ideas on the way he wants us to play,” stated Paxson. “Many top assistants never get the chance to be a head coach in the NBA and Jim has assured me he will provide the necessary energy and commitment this position requires."

Paxson added, "Ron Adams, Pete Myers and Mike Wilhelm will continue to play integral roles on the staff and will give great support to Jim and our team.”

Boylan, 52, is in his fourth season with the Bulls organization after joining the team as an assistant coach on May 19, 2004. He is a 14-year NBA coaching veteran, having also spent time on the sidelines in Cleveland under Mike Fratello (1993-97), Vancouver under Brian Hill (1997-2000), Phoenix under Scott Skiles (2000-01) and Atlanta under Terry Stotts (2003-04).

He began his coaching career in the NBA in 1992 as video coordinator and advance scout for Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens’ Cavaliers. He also coached in the Continental Basketball Association and in college, including stops at Michigan State as an assistant under Jud Heathcote (1986-89) and as head coach at New Hampshire (1989-92).

As a player, Boylan helped lead the Marquette Warriors to the 1977 NCAA Championship and was later drafted by the Buffalo Braves in the fourth round (68th overall) of the 1979 NBA Draft.

Now the Golden Eagles, of course.

Didn't we have a coach like that once?

Would you say he's more Doug Collins or Rick Carlisle?

I thought he was going for Ron Rothstien.

Don't ever bring that name up again. One year was bad enough.

:mccosky:


Game over

It has been reported that the firing of Bulls coach Scott Skiles was ordered by owner Jerry Reinsdorf, and that general manager John Paxson had to do it against his wishes.

Not true. Reinsdorf didn't want to buy Skiles out of the final year and a half of his deal at all. It was Paxson who insisted on making the change.

Here's how Paxson and Skiles fell out. Skiles told Paxson that he thought the team was irreversibly broken. Paxson told Skiles to fix it. Skiles said he couldn't. The players apparently got wind that Skiles had quit on them. In fact, one report had Ben Wallace going to Paxson and complaining that the players felt Skiles had bailed. The ballgame was pretty much over at that point.

Buyouts have become the new thing!

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/cs-071230smithonbullsscottiepippen,1,293563.column?co ll=cs-bulls-headlines

Awesome Pippen interview, lol.

Love his comments on Skiles.

More great stuff from Pip: http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/cs-071230smithbox,1,2317046.story?coll=cs-home-headlines