May 28--A recent conversation with an NBA veteran familiar with Tom Thibodeau's ways ended with a revelation.
The player spoke of his head coach's open-door policy (literal, not figurative) and how empowered he felt to inform his coach when he needed a rest, either in a game or practice.
When I asked if the Bulls players had that same freedom, that ability to give Thibodeau input on their level of freshness or exhaustion, the player looked down at my recording device until I hit stop.
"Never," he replied.
Thibodeau, like so many successful coaches, operates to the tune of Frank Sinatra's "My Way."
But that's not the Bulls' way.
Jerry Reinsdorf spelled that out Thursday in comments regarding Thibodeau's dismissal. The Bulls chairman spoke of "an organizational culture where input from all parts of the organization has been welcomed and valued."
If you're a college football coach like, say, Jim Harbaugh, you can kick people out of practice on a whim.
The NBA is a players' league.
The modern way of coaching is not Thibs' way, which includes a devotion to grueling practices and long shootarounds.
Look at the teams in the NBA Finals.
One NBA rookie head coach, Cleveland's David Blatt, let LeBron James draw up the seminal play in Game 4 against the Bulls. The other, Golden State's Steve Kerr, was so devoted to pacing his players in the regular season, none averaged more than Steph Curry's 32.7 minutes. That ranked 41st in the league.
Veteran Bulls big man Pau Gasol averaged 34.4. Jimmy Butler clocked a league-high 38.7 -- same as the previous season.
Say this for Thibs -- the man is consistent.
To those who howl about the big minutes that Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen logged, here's my reply: Fergie Jenkins fired 267 complete games. Times change.
Be willing to change with the times, or you won't get a chance to do it your way -- or any way.
tgreenstein@tribpub.com
