Pau Gasol weighs in on the Bulls firing Tom Thibodeau
Pau Gasol wrote a short blog entry about Chicago’s decision to fire Tom Thibodeau and the franchise’s future.
Pau Gasol updated his blog on Sunday with a quick entry about Tom Thibodeau and the direction of the Bulls. Gasol thanked his former coach for all the support this season, and reassured fans that Chicago will do “whatever it takes” in order to win the franchise’s seventh championship.
"I want to thank Coach Thibodeau for his trust and support this season. I am sure his dismissal was a difficult decision for the Bulls organization to make, but I am confident they have a solid plan to ensure the continued success of the franchise. We all have extremely high expectations for the team next season and we will do whatever it takes to bring a championship back to Chicago. Go Bulls!"
While it may seem milquetoast, and Gasol comes off like a man toeing the company line, it’s really the perfect response to Thibodeau’s firing. That Thibs flamed out with Chicago is so unfortunate, yet understandable, you can only live in the grey area.
Thibodeau is one of the game’s best coaches, a genius defensive mind and the type of leader who squeezes every inch out talent out of his team. He had the Bulls on the precipice of a Finals appearance in his first year, dragging 62 wins out of a team that was .500 one year prior, and never missed the playoffs during his five seasons at the helm. Beyond that, he battled through the on and off-court drama of Derrick Rose’s numerous injuries. That his team trudged forward without its superstar and never missed the second season is a testament to Thibs’ coaching acumen.
However, things deteriorated with management. GM Gar Forman fired Thibodeau’s right-hand man, Ron Adams, out from under the coach, players’ minutes were capped by the front office, and throughout the season there was a cloud of discord hanging over the franchise. Factor in the scuttlebutt that Thibs’ intense coaching philosophy (every contest should be played like it’s a Game 7) was grating on some players, and a change was inevitable. Even if the Bulls had gutted out Cleveland, felled Atlanta and made it to the Finals, one gets the sense that these playoffs were Thibodeau’s green mile.
The coach succeeded. The franchise is in a better place than where it was when he started five season ago. And yet there was mutual dissatisfaction. Success can breed happiness, but not always.
Therefore, Gasol’s middle-of-the-road blog hits the mark. Lament the embattled coach whom you couldn’t help get over the hump. Keep a positive outlook for the future of your talented team.
And really, why not stay positive. The perfect parallel to Chicago and Thibodeau is last year’s falling out between Golden State and Mark Jackson. Look where the Warriors are now.