Why the Fred Hoiberg-Bulls relationship was doomed from the start
The Chicago Bulls and Fred Hoiberg thought of each other as a match made in heaven, but Hoiberg’s dismissal shows it was a marriage that shouldn’t have been.
Hoiberg was woefully overmatched from his first day as Bulls coach in 2015, and although he made noticeable strides, it was apparent he couldn’t get over the initial impression he made with the franchise.
It haunted him from the first day he took over, when he believed he was coming in to take the Bulls to the next level but instead was brought in to usher in a rebuild.
He learned early from mishandling Joakim Noah’s deteriorating body and game that this was no ordinary job, while dealing with Derrick Rose’s transition from star to unknown commodity, and Jimmy Butler’s ascension to stardom.
The Bulls sold Hoiberg a bad bill of goods, and only the Bulls were able to keep the receipt in firing Hoiberg on Monday morning after a 115-155 run with the franchise.
A Bulls preference that predates Phil Jackson, the franchise usually hires first-time NBA head coaches, only veering from that strategy when they hired Scott Skiles in 2003. Whether that pattern was by happenstance or design, Hoiberg fit the bill, but the Bulls thought he was more pro-ready than a traditional rookie coach after his tenure at Iowa State.
But more importantly, the organization desperately wanted to make themselves look good after firing Tom Thibodeau following his tumultuous tenure. Hoiberg was viewed as affable and amenable to management’s wishes, making him easier to work with, albeit without the desired results.
The timing of the firing only confirms the belief he never had the full support of management from the start of the season, as new head coach Jim Boylen gained more traction internally throughout Hoiberg’s tenure as Hoiberg clashed with Butler, with whom Boylen connected.
And keep in mind: Boylen got under Rajon Rondo’s skin during the guard’s single season in Chicago in 2016-17, with Rondo throwing a towel at him during a game, resulting in a suspension. A willowing flower, Boylen is not.
With all the head-coaching openings over the last season, Boylen’s name only came up once: with Charlotte. For an NBA lifer who’s been long waiting for a shot at the first chair, one wonders if he knew Hoiberg’s seat would be warm if a slow start happened, injuries or not.
Boylen is demanding and pushy to some degree — the perfect antidote if one isn’t a Hoiberg supporter. To his credit, Hoiberg never tried to play the tough-guy role, but that might’ve made him an easier target in hindsight.
“I think I’m a little more passionate in-game coach than maybe Fred is,” Boylen said upon his introduction Monday afternoon.
And while the Bulls’ dismal 5-19 record can be attributed to injuries to Lauri Markkanen, Kris Dunn and Bobby Portis, it was clear only a miraculous start would save Hoiberg from the early ax. The record merely comes up as supporting evidence, but didn’t likely do much to sink him.
Hoiberg will be left to wonder what if Rondo didn’t injure his hand in the 2017 playoffs, when the eighth-seeded Bulls were up 2-0 against the Celtics and coming home.
Without Rondo, the Bulls folded, traded Butler on draft night and started this rebuilding process that they didn’t feel Hoiberg was adequate enough to command.
That sense of being snakebitten could apply to the front office, as John Paxson and Gar Forman have been in charge for nearly 15 years. Forman was a point man in selecting Hoiberg, but Paxson took more of the reins during Hoiberg’s tenure and it never seemed like Paxson’s fiery demeanor meshed with Hoiberg’s approach.
But in the bigger picture, Paxson and Forman have left wins on the table, with just five playoff series wins during their time at the helm.
Hoiberg’s firing doesn’t press the fast-forward button on a rebuild, because the warts of the roster still exist and Jabari Parker being a piece that doesn’t quite fit falls at management’s feet and not Boylen’s clipboard.
If Hoiberg would’ve been told that this shiny opportunity was a rebuild in disguise, he probably would’ve stayed at Iowa State and waited on the perfect opportunity.
Hoiberg turned down rebuilding jobs in Orlando and Denver, while also quietly interviewing for the Golden State Warriors job in 2014 — a position that ultimately went to Steve Kerr, a coach Hoiberg had been compared to because of their offensive philosophies.
But that comparison seemed to doom Hoiberg upon his arrival, as he was sold as a savior he was never going to be because he would never have the players to make up for his blind spots and inexperience.
Multiple things can be true: The Bulls needed Hoiberg to be stronger in the locker room and on the sidelines with a young team that needed inspiration. The man nicknamed “The Mayor” was not one for fiery speeches and rhetoric that would get players running through walls. He expected his players to conduct themselves professionally, and when things went haywire, there was often the feeling he wasn’t in command, that he was liked but not necessarily respected.
Hoiberg, though, never fancied himself as a genius or some guru. His flaws were obvious from the start and the Bulls were likely so smitten with him that they didn’t do the proper vetting before handing him the keys to the franchise — nor did they tell him the roster he inherited had little upside and was in need of a breakup.
In many ways, it felt like the Bulls left him hanging and he clearly needed more support and direction internally. Bulls management was determined not to hold his hand early or late, giving him four different rosters in his four seasons as head coach.
The expectations differed, and the organizational message wasn’t consistent with the moves made and personnel delivered to Hoiberg.
Hoiberg was never going to be the answer to the Bulls’ problems, which extended far beyond his own issues. And that is where the Bulls are culpable, as they press on with a new start, hoping for better long-term results.
Talking the talk
“I have nothing to say to them. I have no respect for them. Simple as that.”
— Washington Wizards guard John Wall, on the officials after feeling like he didn’t get any calls in a 123-98 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.
Usually, officials try to give players latitude on missed calls. In this case, I’d be shocked if Wall got another 50-50 call for the rest of the season. Not the wisest course of action.
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