12:00 Update - Thibs has been fired by Chicago. Countdown begins.
What up? Here's your daily update/thread for Thursday, May 28.
Wednesday was a fairly quiet day as far as drama goes until The Sporting News reported that Chicago Bulls players had been told that Thibs would not be back next season. The report goes on to write that the Bulls have yet to make a decision.
“But despite what the players were told, the Bulls have made no final decision on Thibodeau’s future. He has a contract in place for two years, and he stated after the Bulls were eliminated from the postseason that he had every intention of fulfilling that contract.”
That copy is from Sporting News NBA reporter Sean Deveney.
DIRT FROM WEDNESDAY…
A few things I’m hearing/pondering…
--- For the “T.J. Otzelberger has been guaranteed the head coaching job if Fred leaves for the NBA crowd,” that's just not true. Jamie Pollard is a calculated human being and I mean that as an incredible compliment for Iowa State's AD. Pollard should write a book about how to conduct a coaching search and sell it to his peers. He's brilliant. He is as silent as they come. I get all of the “clues” that you all are putting together but again, at the end of the day I strongly believe that you are wrong. The “silent head coach in waiting” move is sooooo not Jamie Pollard. I don’t buy it for a second. Neither do any of my most trusted sources.
--- Having said that, Otzelberger should absolutely get an interview if Fred leaves. Who else has a near decade track record of bringing quality players to Ames? Recruiting wasn't the problem during the McDermott era. What kind of staff would Otzelberger surround himself with? That’s the real question because we know he can get players.
--- I had an interesting conversation on Wednesday afternoon regarding the Bulls/Thibs situation that I hadn’t thought of before. I had totally forgotten that back when Thibs was hired, it was rumored that the Bulls made the move to help lure Lebron James to Chicago. That’s because the two have the same agent and are apparently close behind the scenes. James is a big fan of Thibs and has openly discussed it in the past. That’s where this story from the Chicago Sun Times is interesting. Why haven’t the Bulls fired him yet? Multiple reports state that it’s nothing but pettiness in trying to keep him out of the NBA next year (which I find repulsive and can’t understand why Fred would want to work for these people). Anyway, the theory in the Sun-Times pieces is that should the Cavs lose to the Warriors in the NBA Finals, David Blatt could still be fired (if it’s what Lebron wants) and you know who, Thibs could be the next man in.
--- That’s all of the dirt I have for now. Keep an eye on the site Thursday and Friday though. I have a feeling that this Bulls piece is about to go down.
LINKS
--- A good read on Fred from SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell, who says The Mayor cannot be replaced in Ames.
--- A fantastic read from our friends at Wide Right & Natty Light. "Perception & Reality With or Without Hoiberg."
--- Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski still believes that Fred will be the man in Chicago next year.
What up? Here's your daily update/thread for Thursday, May 28.
Wednesday was a fairly quiet day as far as drama goes until The Sporting News reported that Chicago Bulls players had been told that Thibs would not be back next season. The report goes on to write that the Bulls have yet to make a decision.
“But despite what the players were told, the Bulls have made no final decision on Thibodeau’s future. He has a contract in place for two years, and he stated after the Bulls were eliminated from the postseason that he had every intention of fulfilling that contract.”
That copy is from Sporting News NBA reporter Sean Deveney.
DIRT FROM WEDNESDAY…
A few things I’m hearing/pondering…
--- For the “T.J. Otzelberger has been guaranteed the head coaching job if Fred leaves for the NBA crowd,” that's just not true. Jamie Pollard is a calculated human being and I mean that as an incredible compliment for Iowa State's AD. Pollard should write a book about how to conduct a coaching search and sell it to his peers. He's brilliant. He is as silent as they come. I get all of the “clues” that you all are putting together but again, at the end of the day I strongly believe that you are wrong. The “silent head coach in waiting” move is sooooo not Jamie Pollard. I don’t buy it for a second. Neither do any of my most trusted sources.
--- Having said that, Otzelberger should absolutely get an interview if Fred leaves. Who else has a near decade track record of bringing quality players to Ames? Recruiting wasn't the problem during the McDermott era. What kind of staff would Otzelberger surround himself with? That’s the real question because we know he can get players.
--- I had an interesting conversation on Wednesday afternoon regarding the Bulls/Thibs situation that I hadn’t thought of before. I had totally forgotten that back when Thibs was hired, it was rumored that the Bulls made the move to help lure Lebron James to Chicago. That’s because the two have the same agent and are apparently close behind the scenes. James is a big fan of Thibs and has openly discussed it in the past. That’s where this story from the Chicago Sun Times is interesting. Why haven’t the Bulls fired him yet? Multiple reports state that it’s nothing but pettiness in trying to keep him out of the NBA next year (which I find repulsive and can’t understand why Fred would want to work for these people). Anyway, the theory in the Sun-Times pieces is that should the Cavs lose to the Warriors in the NBA Finals, David Blatt could still be fired (if it’s what Lebron wants) and you know who, Thibs could be the next man in.
--- That’s all of the dirt I have for now. Keep an eye on the site Thursday and Friday though. I have a feeling that this Bulls piece is about to go down.
LINKS
--- A good read on Fred from SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell, who says The Mayor cannot be replaced in Ames.
--- A fantastic read from our friends at Wide Right & Natty Light. "Perception & Reality With or Without Hoiberg."
--- Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski still believes that Fred will be the man in Chicago next year.
