NBA Playoffs 2017: 5 things we learned from Celtics beating the Bulls

By Noah Torr | Apr 29, 2017

Apr 28, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) celebrates a basket as goes by Chicago Bulls guard Isaiah Canaan (0) during the second half in game six of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at United Center. The Celtics defeated the Bulls. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports /

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Apr 12, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg during the first half against the Brooklyn Nets at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Fred Hoiberg may be looking for a new job next year

Here’s the truth: Fred Hoiberg and the Chicago Bulls have not had a pretty marriage since their engagement back in 2015.

The goal of the Hoiberg hiring was simple: bring pace to an otherwise slow team. When Tom Thibodeau was the coach of the Bulls, the team was focused more on defense than offense. That didn’t sit well with the front office of the Bulls. They realized that the NBA was changing and they needed to adapt. So, they fired Thibbs and brought in Hoiberg, in large part, to fix this problem.

Hoiberg’s offense is pace-and-space. That is what he ran at Iowa State and that is what earned him the Bull’s head coaching job. It was a great move, in theory, to bring in Hoiberg. He could speed up the game for the Bulls and help them move into the next generation of the NBA. Well, the front office was wrong.

They weren’t wrong about Hoiberg’s offense. If he was on the Pacers, his offense might run smoothly with the lineup that they have. But in Chicago, it doesn’t work. The Bulls don’t have the correct pieces to fit into Hoiberg’s offense. The Bulls front office set him up for failure. They went and got Rondo and Wade (not known for their 3-point shooting ability) in the offseason to add a veteran presence to the team. They didn’t add any shooters, so Hoiberg was stuck with McDermott and Mirotic. The season progressed and neither McDermott nor Mirotic could connect from deep, so Hoiberg had to adapt his offense to what his lineup was capable of.

Against the Celtics, Hoiberg was throwing random pieces on the floor to see if they would work. He finally found success in a lineup with Rondo leading the charge at point guard. Then Rondo went out with an injury and Hoiberg and things fell apart quickly.

It looks unnatural for Hoiberg to be on the Bulls to be working with this roster. They are not fit for pace nor space. The Bulls ranked 20th in pace during the regular season among the rest of the league with 97.72 possessions per game. If the goal is to have a high pace, they failed. The Bulls are not equipped to run Hoiberg’s offense. If Hoiberg is indeed let go, he should have the opportunity to coach in the NBA again. It’s not his fault the front office set him up for failure.

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