Issues with New Coaching Staff

Ok...I'll admit any conjecture to what this roster, defense, or offense will look like come the heart of the season or playoffs is premature. We are in a holding pattern waiting to see.

I have my first issue with these guys though. I would get Mirotic under control or he wouldn't play. I don't know if he speaks english, but does he speak bench?
I know he nailed a 30 footer yesterday, he also took at least one ill advised shot with his defender closed down and in his business. The guys shot selection is terrible. He doesn't have a great feel yet for when he should shoot, drive, or keep the ball moving quickly.

But the terrible shot selection thing is unacceptable from a player with tons left to prove. Have you given us a season of 40% from 3? Or even a month? Granted I don't see the guy sharp shooting in practice on rested legs, and I have been on this site tasting Mirotic and McBuckets both as other worldly shooters who have that elite Korver, Curry, Kerr, look and feel to some of the footage I have seen, and I've been saying that since day 1 before they ever made it to a summer league game.

I'm a huge fan, but this team has too many shooters and too many all stars for your foreign first year starter to be jacking shots at his whim.

By all means, green light from all open threes, or even with close defenders who can't match his length. I want him to have a green light, but don't be ridiculous with 15 seconds left in the shot clock.

I find it a point of weakness in Holberg that this shit continues past a single game, I would never allow that shit. Its a joke. Curry has earned that right. As laughable as it is he uses it to be a better point guard and it sets others up, when he's feeling it its going in too.

You better be shooting 45% from at the 3 point line before you convince me you should be shooting from 5-10 feet back. I know its a small thing and whatever but it really pisses me off because its selfish and its absolutely a coaches job to manage his personalities and make sure players are being fair to each other.

When Mirotic shoots from 25-30 I'm insulted for Gasol, Butler, Rose, and Dougie who all deserve a chance to do something higher percentage with the ball.

If it was 3 seconds in shot clock, or he was shooting 43% plus from 3 ok.... ok...but as it is I would have pulled him after he made it and chewed him out in 6 languages and let him sit for a quarter. fuck that.

Come on Miro, and don't you dare start picking up bad lazy habits from the NBA. I saw him pout and not run back after a missed drive, then fail to box out several times in the last game. Part of why I was so high on him was his relentless running of the floor for a big, and his hustle rebounding and defense. If this continues start Gibson.

Seems like you have more of an issue with niko than the staff. Doesn't really matter as much who starts as it does who finishes...and niko isn't playing much at all in the 4th. I'm not crazy about him starting either, but it's not like Fred is committed to playing him in crunch time. Honestly with the way niko is playing, I don't think the results would be much better on the bench. Would be nice to see portis though.

Enasic said:

Seems like you have more of an issue with niko than the staff. Doesn't really matter as much who starts as it does who finishes...and niko isn't playing much at all in the 4th. I'm not crazy about him starting either, but it's not like Fred is committed to playing him in crunch time. Honestly with the way niko is playing, I don't think the results would be much better on the bench. Would be nice to see portis though.

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Its about teaching Niko. Getting through to him. I don't want to bench him, I want to yell in his face and show some coaching strength that your will must be followed or you don't play. He needs to do this to Niko for his bad behavior to teach Niko, and send a message to Rose that insubordinate attitude will not be tolerated.

Who is the best coach in the league?

Make Hoiberg a bracelet WWPD? if you must.


Cuz what would Pop do? I guarantee he would flip his mind, go scarface in the huddle, bench him for a half, yell at him again at halftime, then play him...then go home and drink a bottle of wine.

Raskolnikov said:

Its about teaching Niko. Getting through to him. I don't want to bench him, I want to yell in his face and show some coaching strength that your will must be followed or you don't play. He needs to do this to Niko for his bad behavior to teach Niko, and send a message to Rose that insubordinate attitude will not be tolerated.

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You can yell all you want. Niko isn't as good as many people want or think he is. He's capable of better, and shouldn't be jacking the shots he has, but I can't really fault the staff for it. He's on a short leash and isn't playing in crunch time. That should be enough of a message for him.

You can make a WWWBD bracelet, look at it every day, try to emulate him, and still be broke. What Warren Buffet would do, or what Pop would do, doesn't make another coach instantly that person.

Crystallas said:

You can make a WWWBD bracelet, look at it every day, try to emulate him, and still be broke. What Warren Buffet would do, or what Pop would do, doesn't make another coach instantly that person.

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Ok....well in this case I don't feel like I need to invoke the greats. Maybe Holberg has got this and he isn't going to shame the guy publicly, that could be a good move. But it best damn be handled, its unacceptable basketball and if you don't play efficiently tomorrow night you are going to get torched.

I like Noah off the bench. Gasol belongs with the starters... period. He and Gibson haven't done so well together though. I see nothing wrong with continuing to start Niko. See how he's doing, and if he's not giving you something offensively early on then yank him. It would be pointless to keep him out there very long at that point, and Hoiberg has been smart about that. And to give Niko the best shot at doing anything offensively, it would be by playing him with the starters who have the Bulls 3 best scoring options to feed off of (Butler, Gasol, Rose).

Mirotic has just flat out sucked this season. His only good statistical game since his little hot start was in a blow-out against Philly in garbage time. He takes off balance shots when no one is near him. He drives when he should shoot. He shoots when he should drive. And when he does shoot three's it is from a minimum of 3 steps outside the three-point line.

My statement now echoes something Jimmy was saying. Our worst fears about Hoiberg are basically realized.

Somebody finally got through to Rose, but we don't know if it was Holberg. What I was saying is Niko was taking shots a coach is supposed to call a timeout for, chew you out, and bench you for a quarter at any level of basketball. But he didn't do that, it was soft.

He was letting Rose go through the motions and not run the offense, make mistakes without consequence and it was soft.

Now holy shit, jimmy actually called the coach soft when things looked like maybe he didn't have control....and Gasol is a hard guy to control in general if you don't do things to his liking.

And Niko looking hard to control. And Butler? I don't know. With Rose's new attitude and Butler being malcontent, all of I sudden I am questioning that relationship and who is to blame.

Butler has been thrust into spotlight of leadership but we don't really know behind the scenes if he is capable of that or if he is causing the train wreck with him and Rose.

Or maybe Rose/Butler are the only ones working their asses off. I'm on alert thats all. This should be interesting.

Because we haven't really face adversity at all. We lost a 4 OT game and had no energy on a back to back. Expected. Not adversity. Not a 5 game losing streak, or getting pounded by back to back by best teams in league or somehting that expose you.

Are we going to implode when we hit real adversity? Is Butler really a leader or to blame? Is Rose's new attitude legit or for show and what about Gasol?

Fuck. We need a strong coach...not Thibs because of his stubbornness with minutes.

But I'm all for firing Holberg for Mark Jackson if strength is the issue.

I think part of the issue is Hoiberg's style of play. The emphasis on the three is fine, but it should still be balanced with interior play. Mirotic has skills in the post, yet you never see them. Pau is dominant in the post, again, rarely seen. Instead everyone is standing around on offense, then shooting jumpers.

Your point that this is all premature is key, but that doesnt mean we cant judge from what we've seen. It is 25 games into the season. I feel we have seen what he is.

They need to trade Gasol for a good Small forward or shooting guard. That woud fix a whole lot of problems with this team along with a good back-up point guard.

I think people need to come to the realisation that Mirotic is not going to be much more than what he is already. First of all, he is 24 years old who has been playing pro ball for a long time. He is a crafty, inefficient stretch 4 who can rebound a bit but doesn't play D. He is a typical European style basketball player. He hustles for boards a little more then your typical Euro player but other than that, nothing really stands out. He isn't even the shooter we thought he was. He is a valuable piece who can play a role on a winning team but he is no star in the making.

A better rebounding, slightly less efficient Danilo Gallinari.