Bulls axe Skiles

Merry Christmas Scotty.

The coach is not the blame for this teams performance. Paxson has to go as well. The Ben Wallace signing will go down as one of the Worst in Chicago Sports History.

Paxson signs a guy who can not shoot period whether it be Free Throws or anything else. He averages barely 5 points a game and 8 Rebounds then people have the nerve to blame Skiles. The Bulls gave this clown a $60 million contract. He is being outplayed by Aaron Gray who is barely making the league average.

Also there are Bulls fans who talk about Hinrich? Hinrich is also not the reason why this team is underperforming.

Ben Wallace! Ben Wallace! Ben Wallace! Send this clown and Paxson out of town.

PS Ben take your headband with you.

Ricky responds: I have a feeling this means we'll see a whole lot more of Tyrus Thomas. I'm sure Thomas' lack of playing time was an issue between Pax and Skiles.

YAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY!!! I FEEL LIKE GEORGE BAILEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, Pax finally pulled the trigger. I can't say that I like all of his decisions, but at least he has set the table for one bold move. new coach in 08, plenty of valuable assets for trades, with Kobe ready to put the screws on Lakers management. or its is the beginning of the next rebuilding faze in which the team is lead by a second tier coach, signs second tier free agents, until after 3-4 years of spinning its wheels it trades Deng, Noah and releases Thomas for not taking a DNA test for athletes foot syndrome. thus once again starting the process all over again. after watching Boston thrive with KG I think if Pax has to pull the trigger and bring Kobe to Chicago. it would be the start of a possible rivalry with Boston and would signal the reemergence of the Eastern conference.

Bulls should hire a coach who likes to play up-tempo and try to emulate the Suns.

Does this mean Pax and Skiles are returning each others Christmas gifts?

Wallace is a 1 dimensional player that is for sure. But it is that one dimension that wins championships. Ben wallace was signed for his defense not his free throw percentage.

Skiles had 2 thing going against him:

- mediocre talent that had to rely on out-working the other team to win...translated, they didn't have top 20 talent at any of their 5 starters (thanks Pax)

- the typical NBA player doesn't want to play for a coach that actually wants to coach. go down the list of the post-Jordan years for the list of "me" players...started with Ron Mercer and today we have the 2 Bens, Tyrus, etc. Must be nauseating to coach in the NBA...

I went to high school with Scott Skiles..........I have always admired his grit and honesty.....he will land on his feet and some other professional basketball team will make him their coach soon. The Bulls are my favorite basketball team and Skiles gave them all he had. Kurt Cooper / Leopold, Indiana.

I think his lack of a consistent rotation and his unwillingness to put Thomas and Gray on the floor was the last straw. Now, maybe we'll move Kirk over to the two, start Duhon, move Gordon to the bench with Thomas and get it cracking. Even if that doesn't happen, at least we may get some consistency from the lineup.

a change was def needed. now whether it should have been skiles or trading wallace or both, I don't know, but I do know that with the success of Boston, the continued success of the pistons and the emergence of orlando and toronto the bulls needed to do something provide a spark. I hope this move opens up door to a Kobe trade in January.......

For one, I am glad the bulls booted Scott out of town, he has reached his peak in coaching as history tells us, look at his past coaching jobs in the nba most notable is the magic.

LISTEN BRING IN STORMN NORMIN TO BE THE COACH Love his fire not that he would be the ideal replacement LOL, trade captin Kirk and Bum Wallace and a draft pick for a pretty good gaurd with size like Tracy McGrady, than the starting 5 would look like this here.

Gray, Thomas, Deng, McGrady, Gordon.

Along with having Noch, Noah, Smith, and Duhon waiting on the bench to come in.

Well that is my thoughts......

In a case like this, no one wants to see someone get fired from a high profile job during the holidays, but "It's about time".

I appreciate Scott Skiles and having a hard work ethic and helping bring the Bulls back to respectability. Unfortunately no one would have ever lived up to their full potential under Skiles and his never ending tweaking of the line up. Since this email can turn into an hour long rant, lets just say "Let the Jim Boylan Era begin".

Remember back to 1989 when Doug Collins was let go and replaced with some assistant coach sitting on the bench (Uh... Phil Jackson I think his name was....).

It's about time Pax pulled the trigger.

I wish Skiles and his family well, but now I can get back to watching basketball.

Next topic would be those idiots over at Hallas Hall who kept Lovie and let Rivera go....

Enjoy your week

He is better suited to be a College Coach anyway. That Rah Rah mentality will only go so far in the NBA. But untill the Bulls stop being a Farm team for the rest of the NBA, they won't win a Title. How many Players have they gotten rid off that are starring on other Teams?

In a case like this, no one wants to see someone get fired from a high profile job during the holidays, but "It's about time".

Remember back to 1989 when Doug Collins (a good coach) was let go and replaced with some assistant coach sitting on the bench (Uh... Phil Jackson I think his name was....).

Lets just say "Let the Jim Boylan Era begin".

I fail to see the logic here. A team can't shoot, nor can it play help defense--two staples of Skiles' teams in the last three years. It was already something the Bulls did exceedingly well; now, all the sudden, it's the coach's fault that they can't hustle or shoot?

I understand Paxson needed to do something, but this wasn't the kind of move I imagined. It's clear the two didn't have identical philosophies, and I get the sense that Paxson was more hands-on than most GMs--think of how complimentary Pax was of Kryhpa and how little Skiles thought of him--but this apparently a blame move.

Hinrich's woes, Wallace's lack of effort and Ben Gordon's shot selection are not a product of a coach's work--they're the work of bad basketball.

Publicly, I think Chicago may have realized this team has hit its ceiling--a collection of nice, solid players, playing hard. That works in most sports--but the NBA is unique. It's really dependent on the superstar, the go-to guy.

I'm curious to see how the players rebound from this, since they admitted how distracted they were in the wake of Kobe trade talks.

Paxson is on the clock.

Well it's about time. I never thought Skiles was the right coach with the right philosophy for this young team. Skiles is better off with an older, veteran team.

Offensively, the core of the Bulls players are used to running and gunning. When you don't have a legitimate low-post threat (blame Paxson cuz we could've kept LaMarcus Aldridge, for example) you have to create more scoring and rebounding opportunities; hence run people out of the gym. I agree that Wallace wasn't the right signing for this team but unless he can be traded to get a "big" you are stuck with him. I wish Skiles all the best but we need a run and gun coach.

I'm pretty shocked that Skiles got canned before Isiah. But I do think Pax's timing is a little weird - he could've waited until Wednesday maybe.

Its a good move. I always felt Skiles was a college coach not a NBA type coach. He couldnt communicate with todays NBA players. He had to many childish run-ins with players. This move should have been made a year ago. I think the Bulls will turn around and start to play better but now everyone needs to start to look at Paxson. The last few moves he has made have not been good.( Wallace, Chandler, not getting Kobe) He is on the clock from now on. The Bulls will still struggle because they dont have a go to scorer and you cant depend on jump shooters to take you anywhere. The Bulls still need to make another big move

Scott, take the family down to the islands for the holidays and send Paxson a card. Scott can be blamed for some of the problems like falling in love with Gordon and thinking Nocioni can make up for the scoring needed down low. Bulls have to have a bigger lineup, Thabo or Deng at the 2, Nocioni only playing the 3, Noah, Gray, Thomas, Smith at the 4 and 5. Wallace needs to realize his time may have passed him and he is spoke and no longer the wheel. Stay with these guys okay, but would like to see a guy with attitude like Bonzi Wells or Magette. If I was trading it would be Gordon and Thomas, Duhons look at Thomas the other nite says it all!!!

Not sure what to think about this...Skiles did a lot of good to help this team and I don´t think you can blame him for Heinrich and Deng sucking this year...and make no mistake about it Sweeney, Heinrich sucks this year. I do agree with you that the signing of Ben Wallace was a terrible move...how can you give a guy that much money who you have to take out of all close games because he´ll kill you on the line? And really, who do the Bulls have on the roster who is consistently good?...um, Ben Gordon, but he´s a 6´2" shooting guard who isn´t exactly a defensive stud...who else? I used to think Luol Deng...but not sure anymore.

Having said that, have you seen Skiles this year? He just seems to sit there with his mouth open, not sure of what to do when the team is playing poorly.

I just pray they don´t hire one of the ¨good ole boys¨of Nba coaching..ala Jeff Van Gundy or some other old waste...bring in someone fresh like Jim Cleamons, Craig Hodges, or dare I even say it...Bill Laimbeer

Although Skiles is an above average coach, he had taken this team about as far as it was going to go. It was obvious to anyone watching the Bulls the last few weeks that the team had hit a wall. The performance against Boston the other night was their worst in a few seasons. What needs to be the focus now is finding an elite coach who can actually utilize the talent on hand. Hiring another average coach will be the final nail in the coffin for this team. And Ben Wallace needs to at least pretend that he is trying, if only to humor us.

I have to say wow. That was pretty unexpected, right? But watching Skiles at the end of that Celtics game, he looked like a man defeated. I see Hinrich struggling, but, Skiles, as a former point guard himself, instead of showing confidence or maybe sitting him for a minute and talking to him to find out what is wrong, he benches him for the rest of the game.

Obviously there was a disconnect with him and the team. Did you see Tyrus Thomas trying to bring the ball up the court on numerous occasions in the second half? That was embaressing, and on national tv no less.

The firing seems a little harsh though, especially on xmas eve. What seemed like a beautiful marriage between Pax and the team with Skiles, is suddenly ripped apart. Ron Adams? Doug Collins? Can we get Johnny 'Red' Kerr to come in? It sucks, but it looks like this season is lost, and its not even January. Booo.

Paxson should be fired also!!! His draft choices, free agent signings and trades are awful. Everyone of his draft choices (except Deng) has been bad. He grabbed Tyrus when there are at least FOUR better players. He could also drafted better players than Noah, Gordon and Hinrich. His worse decision was to sign Ben(d )Wallace and trade away Tyson for nothing. The new GM should just back up the truck and start over.

We got rid of Skiles. Now the Bulls don't need a scoring power forward, right? Gimme a break. And who's gonna take over now? Who's out there? Mike Fratello? Lenny Wilkens? What coach out there is worth salivating for?
No one.
I predict Pax is gonna be the next coach/GM of the Bulls.

Well, I was just thinking to myself this morning that John Paxson has been very quite over the last few months.

The moral of this team is broken. Who is the face of this team. Aaron Gray should have been given time to play a long time ago. I do not understand why Scott Skiles did not use more of his roster.

This team needs some creative offensive coaching and some creative defensive coaching.

Ben Gordon is not the same player that he was over the last two years. The Bulls look like a team with no purpose and no direction. This is surprising because John Paxon has been so creative in trying to put a team together. But make no mistake, John Paxson should be on the hot seat just as much as Scott Skiles.

the Bulls need someone with a Chicago tradition and an understanding of what this team was and what it needs to become to regain, gain, amd maintain some type of swagger.

This team needs someone who will show players like Ben Wallace and Adrain Griffin some respect.

Scott Skiles, Thanks for bringing some winning seasons back to the Chicago bulls. You are a winner, but it was time fo you to go.

Stunned that it happened so soon, but it needed to happen sooner or later. Hopefully this means the Bulls are serious about fixing the serious problems that we have. Pax has one more shot at fixing this before he is gone too. Wallace needs to go next and soon. How about Wallace for a guy named Tyson Chandler. Hopefully this means more playing time for Thabo and Tyrus, Noah and maybe even Jameson Curry, and less playing time for the three midgets(Gordon, Hinrich, and Duhon) only one of the midgets should ever be allowed on the floor at the same time, this should be a claus in the new coach's contract.

Is Phil Jackson available, maybe we can do a package deal for Phil and Kobe.

Two Words: Ben Malice.

Ooops! I meant "Wallace".

For two years, everyone has said get a low post scoring presence. Pax has not. Pax signed Wallace. Traded Chandler & later JR Smith for virtually nothing. Settled on Tyrus Thomas when we could have had Brandon Roy or LaMarcus Aldridge. As for Kobe, he's not coming at least until free agency. If the Bulls offer the Lakers what they want, Kobe (who has veto rights)will veto the deal because their will be no nucleus to play with. Some think Deng held up the deal. In a way he did, but Kobe is the one who insisted he(Deng) stay with the Bulls or he wouldn't approve a deal.

I actually feel sorry for Skiles. He did not put this team together. He did not choose Tyrus Thomas over LaMarcus Aldridge or Brandon Roy. He did not draft Joakim Noah. He did not sign Ben Wallace. He did not draft a bunch of short guards. This should be put at the feet of the general manager. Skiles just wanted his team to play hard. This team is constructed badly. Portland is the youngest team in the league and they have won 10 in a row over some quality teams.

Skiles should be happy actually. He still gets paid and he does not have to coach a bunch of selfish overpaid babies anymore. Merry Christmas Scott. I know there is no better present you could have gotten. Let the rebuilding project resume.

Keith was Right all along!!!

Mike sez: "I fail to see the logic here."

Allow me to enlighten you.

Scott Skiles is Principal Richard Vernon, from "The Breakfast Club"

How would you like to come to work every day and see his dour, sad sack face?

Skiles is a guy who doesn't even like himself, and he absolutely radiates negativity.

And for the life of me, I can't ever recall seeing him genuinely happy, regardless of the circumstances.

He's also the primary reason that we never got to see how good Curry and Chandler might have been.

"My way, or the highway" might work with the indentured serfs in college, but not in the NBA.

Keith was Right all along!!!

Scott Skiles save a seat on the bus, Paxson is getting on soon.
Wait a minute is that Ben Wallace driving the bus?!

jimIowa City Out!

I actually felt bad for Skiles, I mean...it wasnt him who dangled every player in front of LA to try to make a deal for Kobe. Not pulling that Trade off, will be Paxson's FATAL FLAW and unfortunately his legacy. I smell another rebuilding phase in our near future!!

Don't forget Jerry had me fire Pink Floyd on Christmas Eve in 2001. Jerry always likes to spread Christmas cheer.

I just watched the Paxon press conference video.

He hired Skiles (not a choice that I endorsed), and his decision to do so has left them in the predicament that they are today.

If he had a lick of class, he would have fired Scott, and the resigned as General Manager because he's more than equally accountable for their record.

He not only hired the coach, but he selected the players. How can Paxon walk away from this unscathed?

I just watched the Paxon press conference video.

He hired Skiles (not a choice that I endorsed), and his decision to do so has left them in the predicament that they in are today.

If he had a lick of class, he would have fired Scott, and then resigned as General Manager because he's more than equally accountable for their record.

He not only hired the coach, but he selected the players. How can Paxon walk away from this unscathed?

To say Ben Gordon is uncoachable, is to not know him. He is an extremely coachable guy. However to say that the personnel on the roster and the style of play did not match, is however true. Is that the coach's fault? The GM's?
Bulls are too small at guard. Too small (Wallace and Nocioni) or too thin (Noah and Thomas) in the post. They do need to play Sun-style basketball, and that was not Skiles style.

If the coach's style doesn't match the personnel, who goes?

I wish the best for Skiles. The General Manager could have warned Skiles. The bulls dont have a go 2 guy. Jim Boylan should step in as coach.

GET RID OF PAX TOO.HE IS THE HENRY OF THE CUBS ANOTHER LOSER IN TOWN GOOD-BYE TOO YOU.

At least Skiles accepted his part in this. Pax and REARSDOPE HAVEN'T! Its really too bad a team cannot be fired or wages garnished. THere's no coach anywhere who can make babies into men. Even if they turn it around I will have a problem respecting anyone on the current roster - well Noci is the exception.

I am a bit shocked by this. Isn't this the coach who helped turn around a team a few years ago and won 49 games and got to the second round. None of which has happened in a while. Don't get me wrong there are things I didn't like about Scott Skiles, like inconsistant rotation and playing time. I really think it hurt the development of players like Tyson Chandler, Thabo Seflosha, Tyrus Thomas, and others but Skiles just led a team to the most success it's had a a long time. Like many others in this blog I think John Paxton has as much or more of the blame here. No one in the NBA would want to be saddled with Ben Wallace and that contract. Paxton is the one who created the Kobe tension and didn't get Deng and Gordan signed. Also, he is the one who put together this roster. The team is too small at several positions and has bad chemistry. The team could have had a great young front line of LeMarcus Aldridge and Tyson Chandler for the next 10 years. Instead it has a has-been in Ben Wallace with a cap eater contract, and a small skinny power forward in Tyrus Thomas. A 6'2 shooting guard who is a defensive liability in Ben Gordan and still no inside game to speak of. I love Noccioni, but he is too small to be your starting power forward for the long haul. I know there is no loyalty in sports, but I thought they would give Skiles the benefit of the doubt and let the team try and work thought things as they have the past several seasons. Skiles should have at least been given half a season to right things. This team as it is put together was never going to win the east like many predicted. I said in a blog that they still would never get out of the second round. Now it looks like they will struggle to make the playoffs in an improving east.

I think Skiles got a bum rap but isn't that the way it always works? I look at it this way, this summer the biggest need was for inside scoring so what does Paxon do, he drafts a Power forward with no offensive game.

When the Bulls first got Wallace I and many others thought it was a good idea, after all, the Bulls had no veterens and Wallace had title experience. I do wish he would have panned out but it looks like he just got his retirement money a little early.

As far as Tyrus Thomas goes, I think Paxson thought Wallace would have held up, this would have given Tyrus a 2 or 3 years to grow into being a player. Since Wallace faded so quickly this makes the inability of Thomas to develop look even worse.

What I don't understand is the drafting of the same type of player over and over, especially when you have had so many high draft picks. It's almost like Paxson can only find short guards and forwards with no offensive ability.

In short, I was behind Paxson but I think the love is wearing off rather quickly.

The problem is the Bulls have no low-post presence. Gray is a nice fill in but he needs to be surrounded by great players, as was Wil Perdue and Luc Longley. Ben Wallace is useless. Worse, he doesn't care--he made his money and is laughing all the way to the bank.The Pistons don't let players who are integral to the team get away. They let Wallace walk because they knew if he wasn't surrounded by great players he'd be just another stiff. Worst free-agent signing in Chicago sports history, by far.

I luv Duhon's comments about how the team basically quit on Skiles...this coming from the guy who can't stay out of the bars long enough to get to practice on time.

Chris...I've played against juco players better than you...shut up and play!

Scott Skiles was let go because he could not take this team to the next level.
Players was beginning to tune him out.
The firing came as no surprise to me.
G.M.John Paxson had been upset recently for not winning.

John has to upgrade The New Coach,and upgrade new players.
Now maybe A better free agent might want to come with a upgrade at coaching.

I think Scott was a good organizer,but your players must buy into
what you are asking them to do.
They was not always on the same page after half time.

Now John Go get some players.

A lot of persons are responsible for the team's poor record
this season. Skiles did a fine overall job but has been unable
to reach certain players, past & pesent. Right now, I could kick
many of the players down the street as if they were tin cans.
So now they don't want to play with enthusiasm. I'll bet their
lack of enthusiasm won't cause them to not cash their exorbitant
checks.

This group of players, despite obvious individual weaknesses, was
put together because they would compete. Their effort would more
than compensate for what was lacking in ability and or in size.
Nocioni seems to be the only one left standing.

I've always had high regard for John Paxson...at Notre Dame,
as a Chicago Bulls player, and as the GM. Pax inherited an
absolute mess from Jerry Krause. Therein lies the success
& failure for GM Paxson up to this point in time. It is easy
to improve a bad team but much more difficult to improve a good
team.

I'm running a little long so I'll head for the exit before I
really start to rant. Just consider Brandon Roy & Tyson Chandler
in place of Ben Gordon & Has-Ben Wallace. I thought Roy could be
the Bulls franchise player & mentioned that in a pre-2006 draft
item in another newspaper. Chandler and Skiles may may have
clashed but Chandler easily trumps Wallace when they are compared.
Tyson is a true center, is much younger, makes about $5 mil a year
less, & brings it every game.

Pax, I'm still waving your banner. But it's a little lower at the
present time. Scott, thanks for the teams that displayed unceasing
effort. The word was spread around the NBA about those teams:
Don't stop playing, because the Bulls will keep coming at you!
Thank you Scott for your constant class.

"He's also the primary reason that we never got to see how good Curry and Chandler might have been."

The stupidity of the average NBA fan never ceases to amaze me.

- what...you really miss those 14.6 points Curry is putting up these days? or maybe it's his uncanny rebounding and defense he's giving NY?
- Chandler was 4 years away from paying any dividends the minute he walked on to the court after being drafted. Don't put that all on Skiles - put that on Krause who drafted an immature, defensive version of Brad Sellers.

You're right from this standpoint - Skiles doesn't go well with entitlement, guaranteed contracts and 19 year olds who already have their millions and don't want to put in the time to get better. Go get Lenny Wilkins or someone who can throw the ball out there and watch...

Ultimately it is the players on the floor who aren't getting it done. Today's breed are showboats, prima-donas and crybaby-head-hanging sulkers.
Example: In the 2 blowouts recently, Boston and Houston, man, down by 28 and letting guys dunk on you and laugh from the sidelines? Well, I remember what Dick Motta would have done:
TIME OUT: Instructs the Bulls that the next guy to try to dive to basket goes down on the floor.
That humiliation in Boston lowered this team to the level of LOSERS who accept being losers.
Do you think that a guy like Artis Gilmore would have stood there watching dunks, whike down by 28? Um, no. Somebody was going down.
Boston is a good team, but showed a lack of class in that game. Why run it up and run their faces in it. He was leaving a starter or two in quite late into the massacre.
Their day will come too.
Besides, they aren't going all the way. TOO SMALL, TOO OLD. One or two injuries and good night.

One thing I think people are missing is that Scott was fed up. I think he may have wanted out. In a league of soft spoiled players, Skiles was a throw back. He was born about 25 years too late. I always liked this guy and I think he got the most out of a group of mediocre players. Ben Wallace and Ben Gordon, your bus is waiting..... Pax, you have isiahditis, I recommend a steady dose of low post players... Thanks for everything Scott. You were an island of integrity and hard work in a sea of soft malingering malcontents (See Olympics) Good luck Buddy...

With all this hoopla,how can Isaih still have a job? I mean his players quit on him much earlier than the Bulls players quit on Skiles.
And how can an owner still pay his players after admitting that they willingly quit on his organization.
No wonder College Hoops are so popular now.

this team could have learned alot more from coach skiles. they are a bunch of quitters with no fight. kobe should be thrilled to still be in lala land,this team is in total disaray. skiles has alot to offer this team now he will move on. dont think he has fight in him just ask shaq oh yeah that means he has balls too. to bad this team could'nt learn that as well

Hmmm...
Skiles took over a team that was the most embarrasing one in sports...
He got them to the playoffs in just his second year as coach....
He hasn't missed the playoffs since...
Two years he gave the eventual champs all they wanted in the first round...
Last year he returned the Bulls to winning a playoff series...
In all three of his playoff season the Bulls had poor starts before everyone bought and starting playing defense for 48 minutes. This team just took a step back.
Say what you will about Hinrich and Wallace at least they play with heart night in and night out. It looks like Mr. Deng and Mr. Gordon are more interested in their big payday (which won't be that big unless both of them start attacking the basket and stop settling for jumpers that never go in.
That hustling mentality, that hard-nosed defense, that was ALL SKILES....
good luck without him....
ps. he rotated the lineup because the team was scoring 85 points a game......

So I guess that the Bulls will now have a real inside threat now that the coach has been axed.
Funny how Paxson hired Skiles, put this team together, signed the worthless Ben Wallace making that 2nd worst move in team history only behind them giving away Elton Brand and now he dumps the guy who made them respectable again.
The Bulls had more to offer for Kevin Garnett than the Celtics did and Paxson did nothing. Pau Gasol was there for the taking last season and Paxson did nothing. Kobe Bryant was as good as gone from L.A. just a few weeks ago and he was almost begging to play here in Chicago and Paxson did nothing.
He could have signed Gordon and Deng and that fell apart.
Give yourself a big Christmas pat on the back Pax for a job well done.

Thanks Culzie!! Tim Little knew it also. And Bear One is right as rain. NOW that career killer is gone, we might have a chance at signing some guys who won't feel like they are signing on to the Marines. And maybe we can bring in a coach who will be respected by the refs so we can get some calls and argue some also. Who you have on that bench sets the tone for your team. What if having Skiles was a major reason top guys refused to come to chicago??? A lot of you trust Skiles, but I trust PAX more than Skiles. Paxson NEVER had players in the league diss him, but Skiles has. Past and present. He did all he could for Chicago, now he needs to let his heart grow 3 sizes so that he can coach again. Um sorry, but somebody else can have Scott Skowls.

Culzie yes Keith was right and recently I had to agree with him. Skiles served a purpose for the time he was in Chicago but his time was up. I would not be surprised if Tyrus Thomas now begins to put up some impressive numbers. Some one earlier mentioned the look that Duhon gave him the other night, yet at the time i could understand Tyrus's frustration with others poor shot selection and decided he was open why not take the shot. It has been quite obvious there has been a lack of team work and that Skiles was not going to get anything else out of this team. For those of you that have been pushing for Tyrus to be traded if that happens you will most likely be crying the same laments you're crying now about trading Chandler. Gordon and wallace I agree need to go although I don't know that anyone wants Wallace. As for the timing of Skiles being fired it just makes the second time A Bulls coach was fired on Christmas eve, would the day after Christmas be any better? i doubt it.

I am disappointed this happened. Skiles is a good coach. He took the level of talent available to him as far as it could go. If the team quit on Skiles, they should be fired, not the coach. Unfortunately, the NBA is not the real world. You stop working and your boss gets fired. This is a sad situation. I thought Pax was a stand up guy. I have yet to hear him accept responsibility for the flawed roster, failed trades and poor free agent signings(Has-Ben Wallace). I think Skiles got the shaft, but at least he can collect another 6-7 million while watching some other coach struggle with Pax's boy scout troop.

What was there to gain by firing a guy at Christmas? These guys did that before and it was kind of heartless then. Skiles might not have been the answer but you're giving yourselves bad karma for being such Scrooges. They would've been just as bad after Christmas with or without him.

Who is going to trade the Chicago Bulls 15 million in players- because that is how you trade in the NBA- for an undersized, aging forward who cannot shoot a jumper or make free throws consistently, and has to be taken out of close games because of Hack-A-Ben? Would any of you do it? Your GM might and I thought the Lions had it bad with Matt Millen.

Skiles had to go, but unlike Floyd we didn't hate him.

Paxson only looks good in Krause's rear view mirror. Paxson has made far more mistakes than anyone seems to realize, including the first of 4 franchise changing killers in the 2003 draft.

Franchise Killing Mistake #1
In 2003 he refused to include Donyell "freakin" Marshall along with the #7 pick to acquire Toronto's #4 pick so that the Bulls could select Dwayne Wade one pick before Miami. We settled for Hinrich and dumped Marshall for nothing in less than a year anyway.

Franchise Killing Mistake #2
With Wade onboard we don't make the mistake of taking Gordon at #3 in 2004. Even though it looked like a 2 man draft(Howard & Okafor), Al Jeferson went #15 to the Celtics, stay with me on this one. Maybe we end up with Deng and Jefferson in the frontcourt for the next dozen years instead of the midget backcourt of Gordon and Hinrich.

Franchise Killing Mistake #3
With Wade and Jefferson onboard maybe we don't make the Wallace/Chandler "Trade" and let Chandler develop into the next Dennis Rodman(without the wedding dress)in Chicago instead of in New Orleans/Oklahoma City/Seattle.

Franchise Killing Mistake #4
With Wade, Jefferson and Chandler maybe we take Brandon Roy(my #1 before the draft) in 2006 and pair him with Wade for the best backcourt in the NBA for the next dozen or so years.

So according to Paxson, Donyell "freakin" Marshall is worth trading this starting line-up:
Dwayne Wade, Brandon Roy, Tyson Chandler, Luol Deng, and Al Jefferson

This line-up, in its second year together this season easily challenges Detroit for eastern conference supremacy, this year and Lebron and Howard for the next ten years. As an added unseen befefit Boston still sucks because they don't get Garnett, because we stole Jefferson before they could get him.

Instead we end up with Paxson's starting five to win it all
Gordon,Hinrich,Deng,Smith and Wallace. midgets and lame old guys.

ByeBye Scott, Pax your next.

Best hope for instant gratification, trade Gordon, Hinrich, Wallace and as much of Reinsdorf's precious cash as legally allowed to Memphis for Gasol, and Juan Carlos Navarro.

Start Navarro and Deng at guard, Nocioni and Thomas at forward and Gasol at center.
This leaves us with a bench of Gray and Noah at 4&5, Sefoloosha at 2&3, Duhon and hopefully Jameson Curry at 1&2. Let Smith and Griffin, nice guys both wave towels from the end of the bench.

Even though Gasol is somewhat of a pussy, he is a legit 7 footer who can score in the post and hit mid range jumpers. This line-up at least gets us to 3rd in the east and gives us a chance to compete with Detroit and Boston.

chicago signed big ben to get him off the piston team period!Ben was the heart of the pistons,but all the other pistons learned what heart was all about while playing with ben so they compensated for his loss.get rid of wallace and it will come back to haunt you.in over 40 years of watching basketball,i have never seen a player like ben.in detroit he was the best.better to build around him in a deminished roll than to cut him loose.joe dumars offered ben just enough money to make him leave and gracefuly make room for maxiel and amire johnson.after all,we still have rasheed wallace,great offense as well as great defense.the bulls are in trouble because they tried to destroy detroit not build the bulls.as if that would make them look better.skiles is a mans man and well loved here in mi.he will do ok.in the meantime i hope the bulls right the ship,because the better the enemy, the better you have to be to beat them.in the mean time watch the pistons,they will be outstanding again this year with all the young blood added to a great veteran team.good luck

This response is to Tommy. Ben Wallace Blows! If he was signed for his D then why is it that in some boxscores I see that he barely has 4 stinking Rebounds. Also your comment about Free Throws show what lack of knowledge you have about B- Ball if you are in close games the NBA does not have Free Throw subs once you are fouled. If you can not shoot Free Throws in close games then how can you play Defense?

Ben Wallace has barely a 40% Field Goal and Free Throw career percentage.This is a prime example of why the NBA is not accepted by a majority of people.I think a majority of this board could shoot better then Ben Wallace.

The only thing the NBA is about is how good I look whether it be fashion or the play I just made when my team is 30 points down.

It's been mentioned on this blog that NBA veterans weren't exactly tripping over each other to come and play for Skiles, and I have to agree. There's something offputting and unfriendly about his general demeanor.

We've all met people in our lives that we immediately disliked, before ever getting a chance to know them, and that was my initial reaction the first time I saw Scott giving an interview. Sometime's we're wrong, but more often than not our gut instincts are supprisingly accurate assessments.

I feel the same way about Mariotti.

Sam have you been watching the same ben Wallace the rest of us have? he has not played night in and night out with heart. Many games this year he has been lethargic at best. If he was hurting he should have said so and sat the game out instead of being a bigger liablity than he already is on offense. I always did and still do like Skiles but his time was up. He no longer commanded the respect of his players. I also find it rather curious that Ben Wallace never took a vocal leadership role on the team and now that Skiles has been fired he calls the team together to tell them these things happen and they need to remain focused and play to turn the season around. Will we now see the Ben Wallace that played in Detroit? Was the reason Deng and Gordon didn't sign extensions Scott Skiles and not money? Personally I'd like to see Gordon traded and Deng moved to the 2 spot. I also don't think naming Jim Boylan the interim coach for the remainder of the season would be smart considering someone has already said he is just an extension of Skiles. Let Pete Myers, who played alongside the best that ever was, take the helm until a legitimate head coach can be found.

Hey Keith how bout a bit of influence from your beloved Knicks and we get Jeff Van Gundy in chicago? I always did like his fire on the bench especially when he tried to tackle Alonzo Mourning during the melee with the Heat! You gotta give him credit for being a little pit bull LOL. And he has had the experience of coaching players like Ewing,Kurt Thomas and Charles Oakley. Some one had mentioned Van Lier and as much as I like him and his commentaries unfortunately i think Norm would break Rashhed Wallace's technical foul mark in record fashion LOL. Would Doug Collins be willing to come out of the broadcast booth?

Oh by the way Keith and Culzie, it's Christmas day and no Kobe trade. Who gets to wear a pink ball cap to which game? I kinda lost track of who was on which side of that debate but Christmas day was the deadline!

Been going through all the previous Bulls blogs and nothing I say now is any different than what I and many others have been noting for weeks now; Skiles was not doing the job. Granted the shooting and defense has been off, but two keys were detrimental to the season so far;

1) The match-ups and substitioning have been horrendous. All you have to do is look at the fourth quarter stats if you are not a coach, a referee, or are not basketball inclined. I, for one, have been schooled enough to know by the start of the fourth quarter whether Skiles decisions to that point have a very good chance of running out of gas by the four minute mark.

2) The offense has not run smoothly and our insistence of letting Ben Gordon consistenly take final shots leaves a Ron Turner play calling, nausiating feeling in my stomach. One option leads to futility and MANY A FOURTH QUARTER LOSS, because Jordanesque, Ben Gordon is NOT!

I can't truly say if, or how, Skiles may have been tuned out by his players, but actions speak louder than words. That said, the Bulls record was a result of a coach whose voice didn't reach out to his squad.

With todays' players, any an N.B.A. coach walks on thin ice, so be careful what you wish for. It may not be the kettle that's bad, but the food inside.

Merry Christmas everybody!!! Mariotti is right about scrooge reinsdorf axing skiles in this season of hope and charity. So much for loyalty and reward for skiles getting this team of odds and ends to the playoffs for the last few years.

Obvious that the 60 million they flushed on wallace are reinsdorf's principal reasons for getting rid of skiles. And the pampered headband is now a bigger influence on the team's young players, like thomas and gordon, than the coach.

So why keep skiles? He can't do anything anyway with the crummy team of wannabe's and neverwases. Skiles is lucky he gets to leave and go somewhere warm for the rest of the winter. The fans are stuck watching another year of Reinsdorf yeck for the remainder of the winter. How long to spring training...

Pax had to sacrifice marshall in order to get rid of rose, now he'll have to sacrifice another solid player to get someone to take wallace off his hands. The two bens need to be b'bye before the bulls will be better, believe it!!!

Skiles did what he could with what he had and had more patience with some of these nba entitlement cases than most people would have, good luck coach!!

have to chuckle when hear that now bulls problems will be solved by a more understanding coach or uptempo style. What coach that is anything more than a hand holding seat warmer, wants to understand the mopes and on this team. Wallace has proven to be a cancer and has ruined the young bulls team chemistry, no coach can fix that, even the most understanding. Bad contract, bad team, simple as that.

Uptempo style is actually harder to play than slow tempo. At least if you really want to play well and win. If what you really mean is play a less disciplined and less accountable style where players who can't score or defend can just slide by and not get singled out for stinking up the joint, then yeah up tempo is a great idea. Ben wallace and ben gordon would look much better in an style like that, the team would still stink but they could say it wasn't because they are one dimensional role players and don't really help a team win. Thomas and Noah could be athletic and no one would really notice they don't have any basketball skills, at least until they have to shoot or dribble or guard someone.

Boy, it seems that there are a lot dummies here from the ESPN Bulls message board.

First, I'd ask those who think that Paxson and Skiles had significant differences on who should play, for the proof of that conjecture.

Secondly, although I admit that I have no proof of this either, I'd bet that the firing resulted from a combination of pressure from Reinsdorf and a complete lack of any other options -he couldn't trade or fire the whole team.

Thirdly, I'd like someone to explain just why the following players would have quit on Skiles: Hinrich, Nocioni, Deng, Smith, Gray, Noah and yes, even Gordon.

Deng and Gordon, after their silly rejections of contract extensions, had zero motivation to see this team implode.

Gray and Noah are rookies. Gray didn't come into the year with any great expectations of PT and Noah is a hell of a lot more mature than the average rookie and I seriously doubt he was a problem.

Smith is a veteran who is anything but a guy that would do such a thing. The same is clearly true of Nocioni as well.

And if Hinrich had any problems with Skiles, he is even more screwed up in the head than I thought.

Finally, a blurb from today's Denver Post, which I haven't seen in this paper.

"The Bulls didn't immediately announce a replacement for Skiles, who went 165-172 after replacing Bill Cartwright in November 2003.
Paxson said he does not expect to hire a coach until after the season, with assistants Pete Myers or Jim Boylan likely taking over on an interim basis. Myers will coach the team against the Spurs."

I have to wear the Pink Sox hat...but all sox hats are Pink to me, so its no biggie!!

You've all made interesting observations or comments on why this team imploded, or why Scott Skiles needed to go, or Paxson should also exit, etc...etc. It all makes sense. It was time for a change. Remember when Phil replaced Doug? When I first heard the news, I thought the Bulls ownership and management had lost their minds. But as history has taught us in the world of sports, a change of coahing philosphies and a player here and there will take this team to the next level. Paxson's biggest blunders are all mentioned within this blog. However, his greatest accomplishment to date was to hire Scott Skiles and change the mental state of the franchise. Just like Doug Collins, it was time for a change. There is talent on this team. If you compare today's roster with last year's roster the only missing player of any significance is PF P.J. Brown.

I say go out on a limb and hire a young coach, who can interact with the various personalities on this roster, get these players veterans and young guys alike, to not only work hard but to also enjoy playing the game of basketball the way it's supposed to be played. I think Skiles over coached his players and didn't allow space to figure things out for themselves. Every mistake was more than likely blown out of proportion and that can wear thin on anyone. Point it out and let it go! A perfect example is Kobe Bryant. When he came into the league he drove his team nuts! Now the light has finally come on and he's finally looking like the Jordan clone he was predicted to be.

I say swallow your pride John Paxson and hire a coach who happens to be a young undiscovered talented genius, by the name of Benjamin Armstrong!

Also, Mike, great call on Laimbier. He would be an excellent choice as well as B.J. Armstrong. However, I don't think bill will take a job with the Bulls.

Also, aside from Noci, this roster is full of soft players! This team lacks a physical presence even with Big Ben!

And the Bulls do have a go-to-guy, his name is Ben Gordon! Just as Kobe was allowed to grow into the player he is today. Kobe had so much talent around him when he came into the league it's easy to forget how long it took him to develop and learn how to play the NBA's version of basketball. So allow Ben Gordon to grow into his role as a go-to-guy. His growth along with Luol are more visible because this team lacks the media diverting personalities and talent which shielded Kobe at the beginning of his NBA career. These two are the franchises go-to-guys. Because of the moderate success of this team over the last three seasons, everything these two do on the court, whether successful or not is magnified.

Paxson may be hoping for a coach to take the Bulls to the next level, but this team doesn't have the talent to go to a higher level.

No player who can beat their man off the dribble and consistently go to the hole late in a game to either draw a foul, make a basket or dish to someone else for an easy basket.

No tough, low-post player(s). Too often I saw the Bulls allow another team to go to the hole late in a game for an easy layup. In the old days, that player may have made the basket, but he wouldn't be standing and he wouldn't drive to the hoop too many more times.

Decent but not great guard play.

Decent but not great forward play.

No center play. Gray hasn't been in enough to decide whether he is a front-line center or a back up, but I'm thinking the latter.

This is a decent, but not great, team. Way too many perimeter players happy to throw up a shot at the offensive end and jog down to the other end to play "wave your arms" defense.

Skiles will coach again. He may not be "the" coach for a lot of teams, but for those owners who want to see a little hustle and hard nose play out of their "instant millionaires," I think he will be an attractive option. He may never take a team to the championship, but he has proven he can help teams improve and get them into the playoffs. The NBA isn't quite the NHL yet, where every team but 8 make the playoffs, so Skiles' abilities should lead to another oppty.

Not so sure about Paxson.

Not a Cub Fan - GREAT POSTS!

Seedy - Paxson just saved his job! LaMarcus Aldrich and DWayde were guys who did not storm out of college. But every player the Bulls have - did!!! You just cannot blame Paxson on his picks. Aldrich is like many NBA players they come in quietly and WOW! Aldrich is doing what folks expected ODEN to be doing. Bulls just needs a coach with a REAL pedigree, or someone who will respect the players and let them be real NBA players and not some nba stepchildren locked up in the attic.

KLSS:

So you're saying that as soon as the Bulls get a pedigreed coach, they have the talent to challenge for the NBA championship? That all of a sudden, this team will show a backbone and will no longer be b***h-slapped to the sidelines?

I won't hold my breath.

I guess it makes sense to can Skiles because of their record, but this team lacks basketball players. They have too many "athletes", like Thomas, Noah, and Wallace, and too few guys with some basketball akills. Paxson made some good moves three or four years ago. But it seems like the last two years he somehow became "atleticized". Which means he wasted high draft picks and free agency money on guys who are offensive stiffs.

Seedy, a reputable coach is going to teach these guys more than just true grit. They will also be RESPECTED by the refs and help the team get some DESERVED calls. Good coaches also attract free agents and make it easier for folks like Ben Wallace to buy into the system.

Jeff - you are absolutely right. I believe Skiles asked for these "athletes" to compliment Kirk Hinrich. This team was built around captain Kirk who is an effective player, but not a great PLAYMAKER. You trade Kirk Hinrich for a player like Deron Williams. I question Kirk's handles and court vision. Its funny how all of a sudden Tyson Chandler can play the game?? Difference - point guard and coach.

Keith...are you saying that Skiles got fired because he was biggoted towards the slower whiter point gaurd?

Im not trying to stir up another racially charged debat.....oh wait..yes I am.

Culzie I guess you just love a spicy meatball!! I am cracking uppp!!! We ALL were drinking Hinrich coolaide. He got better and better every year, and after watching Erob, Jalen Rose, and Tim Thomas, it was so refreshing to see Kirk's hustle. It reminded us of the Bulls of lore. But Skile's Clint Eastwood act got old and Kirk peaked. Asking Kirk and Gordon to overcome the Heat and Pistons and Nets is too much so Paxson added some athletes to compete. Kirk was supposed to make them and extension of himself, but he CANT. Its a skill that is vastly overlooked. Jason Kidd and Billups do it with ease and no point guard is worth a plug nickle until he can MAKE PLAYS. As he goes - so goes the TEAM. When they lose its almost always indirectly his fault. Skiles got FIRED because - being a point-guard by trade - he did not figure this one out and SAT OUT and argued with his BEST playmaker!!! He implemented an offensive system designed to produce the hardest shot to make in the NBA - and asked the smallest backcourt in the league to win with it!