Scott Skiles Fired!!

[Ballamania]

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."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Cant say anyone should be surprised by this one. maybe some coach can put some new life into them because they pretty much stink right now.

 

[abomb]

Wow, that is somewhat suprising despite the team's slow start.

 

[Nasser22]

As an assistant of course.

 

[tobiazz]

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

 

[Louis]

Yet another casualty of front office failures.

 

[DeAnna]

Doesn't surprise me - his methods were starting to wear thin with the players.

 

[Covert Rain]

Something tells me his sunny disposition didn't help.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

Before Isiah?!? Good thing vegas didnt offer that up.

 

[BC867]

When Skiles was coaching the Suns, Jerry Colangelo brought back the inflexible, shifty eyed, never-give-a-direct-answer John MacLeod as Special Assistant Coach, to tutor him.

How To Be Out Of Touch 101, in addition to Skiles gruff demeanor, didn't prepare him for success as a Head Coach.

Hmmm, I wonder if MacLeod has been tutoring D'Antoni in Small Ball Inflexibility 101 behind the scenes.

 

[Treesquid PhD]

huh I guess big men soley associated with defense don't actually = automatic titles.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Before Isiah?!? Good thing vegas didnt offer that up.

it is truly amazing that a guy who can't field a competitive basketball team to save his life, gets slapped with and loses a sexual harrasment suit from a team employee, and has his team involved in one of the worst brawls in the last couple years STILL has a job, when a guy who resurrected a previously dead Bulls team, taking them to the second round of the playoffs last year is gone already.

 

[OldDirtMcGirt]

John Paxson should fire himself for putting together that dysfunctional roster. He got rid of Tyson Chandler to resign a declining Ben Wallace, and then he refused to trade for Pau Gasol. The Bulls aren't winning jack until they fix the problems with their personnel.

 

[Mainstreet]

IMO, D'Antoni could turn the Bulls into consistent winners immediately because he would already have the talent there to win now and the right PG, Hinrich, to execute his offense. When I look at the Bulls situation I appreciate D'Antoni all the more and I'm glad he is coaching in Phoenix. I'm not saying I wouldn't want to tweak D'Antoni's coaching a bit in regard to substitution patterns and more emphasis on defense.

 

[Errntknght]

I'm not at all surprised - what surprised me is how well the Bulls did under Scotty at first. Remember when Ben Wallace showed up for training camp after they went out and signed him? He and Skiles were at loggerheads over Wallace wanting to wear a headband and Scotty disallowing it. It sounds like a silly thing for a coach to take a stand on and it infuriated Wallace. I also won't be surprised if Ben starts playing again like the Ben of old.

 

[OldDirtMcGirt]

IMO, D'Antoni could turn the Bulls into consistent winners immediately because he would already have the talent there to win now and the right PG, Hinrich, to execute his offense. When I look at the Bulls situation I appreciate D'Antoni all the more and I'm glad he is coaching in Phoenix. I'm not saying I wouldn't want to tweak D'Antoni's coaching a bit in regard to substitution patterns and more emphasis on defense.

I think D'Antoni would crash and burn in Chicago. He wouldn't do well with Hinrich, who has real problems with shot selection and decision making (which are Nash's biggest strengths), and have to deal with Ben Wallace and no offensive game.

 

[TheHopToad]

Well that's one hell of a Christmas present. Pink slips make great stocking stuffers...

 

[Skkorpion]

Ah, it wasn't Scotty's fault, nor the players. It was the system, man, the system. I'm telling you.

 

[tobiazz]

Paxson should be under fire for having so many trading pieces and doing nothing to get a low post scorer. Having a bunch of good players on rookie deals with no star is not good in today's NBA because it will impossible to resign them all when they demand $7M+ each after their contracts end.

It sounds like he did try to acquire Kobe so I can't fault him for that. A volume scorer like Kobe, Iverson, TMac, Amare, etc would be great on the Bulls.

 

[OldDirtMcGirt]

Paxson should be under fire for having so many trading pieces and doing nothing to get a low post scorer. Having a bunch of good players on rookie deals with no star is not good in today's NBA because it will impossible to resign them all when they demand $7M+ each after their contracts end.

It sounds like he did try to acquire Kobe so I can't fault him for that. A volume scorer like Kobe, Iverson, TMac, Amare, etc would be great on the Bulls.

Pau Gasol fits the Bulls needs to a T. He has soft hands, and a well developed post game. His defensive deficiencies could be hidden on a Bulls team that has so many defenders. Not to mention he's clearly available from Memphis because he's having a down year and the Grizz are going nowhere.

 

[Ronin]

I'm not at all surprised - what surprised me is how well the Bulls did under Scotty at first. Remember when Ben Wallace showed up for training camp after they went out and signed him? He and Skiles were at loggerheads over Wallace wanting to wear a headband and Scotty disallowing it. It sounds like a silly thing for a coach to take a stand on and it infuriated Wallace. I also won't be surprised if Ben starts playing again like the Ben of old.

Good luck to the bulls on finding a coach that Ben Wallace likes playing for….Wallace was making a bunch of noise playing for Flip Saunders. Ben Wallace is done in my opinion.

 

[tobiazz]

Pau Gasol fits the Bulls needs to a T. He has soft hands, and a well developed post game. His defensive deficiencies could be hidden on a Bulls team that has so many defenders. Not to mention he's clearly available from Memphis because he's having a down year and the Grizz are going nowhere.

The Bulls should send something like Gordon plus Noah if Memphis will take it. I believe that Memphis may have wanted Deng last year but that would not fly anymore.

 

[tobiazz]

Good luck to the bulls on finding a coach that Ben Wallace likes playing for….Wallace was making a bunch of noise playing for Flip Saunders. Ben Wallace is done in my opinion.

Like you said, Wallace appears to be done. I don't think the Bulls are too concerned about whether or not Wallace likes the new coach.

 

[Southpaw]

Skiles is Paxson's fall guy. Ben Wallace won't/can't play. Joachim Noah is a joke and a terrible draft pick. Thomas doesn't listen to anyone who might have an idea about how to play the game. The Bulls don't have a post player to go with all of those very good perimeter players i.e. Henrich, Deng, Gordon , et al.

Based on records maybe Pat Riley should have been the more likely candidate to get fired. Just another Jerry Reinsdorf FUBAR scenario. So now the Bulls will bring in a player friendly coach and probably have a worse record for doing it.

 

[Southpaw]

Rumor mill has Skiles coming to coach the Heat...eventually if not this year. Riley is done.