Archive for May, 2015
Posted on May 29
There is no episode or incident that truly reveals the measure and nature of a person. But there was one Tom Thibodeau story I love that provides a rare glimpse at the makeup of this man that was both his success and eventual undoing.
It was late June after Thibodeau’s rookie season as an NBA coach, his most successful in …
Posted on May 28
Sometimes it’s just time, time for a change, a divorce, a breakup, too much water under the bridge—or minutes throughout the lineup—as it were. That time came Thursday for the Bulls and coach Tom Thibodeau when the Bulls announced Thibodeau was being dismissed as head coach.
Thibodeau departs after five seasons as the third longest tenured coach in franchise history …
Posted on May 15
“While one may encounter many defeats, one must not be defeated.”
— Maya Angelou
And so the Bulls’ 2014-15 season ends with arguably their worst loss of the season at the most vital time, the closeout game of the conference semifinal against rival LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who defeated the Bulls 94-73.
It perhaps sets back the Bulls …
Posted on May 15
It was a discouraging end to the 2014-15 season for the Bulls Thursday, a shocking 94-73 home blowout loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers to lose the conference semifinal series 4-2.
But it perhaps was a new beginning for Derrick Rose.
“I always look at me stepping on the floor and me walking off the floor as a positive,” Rose said …
Posted on May 13
And then there was one, or as the Bulls hope, two more games.
“I feel like we’re a confident group of guys,” Jimmy Butler insisted late Tuesday night in a subdued Bulls post game locker room after Cleveland’s 106-101 win to take a 3-2 lead in the conference semifinal series. “We like the chances we have; obviously we’ve got to …
Posted on May 12
It didn’t sound good or look good for Pau Gasol, sidelined again Tuesday for Game 5 of the Bulls/Cavaliers Eastern Conference semifinal series, though Gasol was hopeful he could push toward a return for Game 6 Thursday.
“We’re hopeful,” Gasol said in an impromptu session with reporters outside the team locker room before Game 5. “Game 6 it will be …
Posted on May 12
On the floor of the Quicken Loans Arena Tuesday morning the Bulls were going through their light, so called shootaround practice, walking through some plays and taking shots preparing for the 6 p.m. conference semifinal game with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Behind the players down a dark hallway, Pau Gasol peddled furiously on a stationary bicycle.
It was perhaps a metaphor …
Posted on May 11
There are a lot of great stories in these NBA playoffs, which are as wide open to produce a champion since perhaps anytime in the late 1970s. Here comes Memphis and the Clippers and even Washington, and few are going to dismiss anyone.
There was the Boffo Buzzer Beater weekend with Derrick Rose, Paul Pierce and LeBron James as the …
Posted on May 11
This one really hurt for the Bulls, Sunday’s 86-84 Cleveland Cavaliers victory to even the conference semifinal series at 2-2.
Not because LeBron James beat them with a 21-foot corner buzzer beater on an inbounds play with 1.5 seconds left after a frantic Bulls rally from six behind with two minutes remaining.
“It was a tough shot,” agreed Derrick Rose, …
Posted on May 10
LeBron James killed the Bulls in the Cleveland Cavaliers Game 2 victory. But mostly James has been killing the Cavs in this conference semifinals playoff series. Perhaps the question now with Game 4 in the United Center 2:30 p.m. Sunday is whether the Cavs are better off playing with or without James.
Maybe he’ll tell me was insulted like he …