Bulls dismiss Jen Swanson director of sports performance

[Stratmaster]

KC is saying that Butler's strength guy is being considered by Gar. It sure sounds like that are finally being more proactive which is good.

Now we are catering to Jimmy left and right all of a sudden?

This org is schizo!

I hope not. I do like the fact that the Bulls are moving on from someone they seemed to hire primarily to keep Rose happy. If it is just Butler's strength coach, I don't necessarily read that as catering to Jimmy. I mean, honestly...there aren't many players who have transformed their bodies in a couple of seasons like Jimmy did, so I'm down with the thought process that says maybe he can help others on the team.

But I have a better conspiracy theory. Butler invites Rose to work out in the offseason. Rose accepts. tHey talk about the routines. Rose says... "what the hell were you doing in the offseasons to turn your body into steel like that". Butler says, let me introduce you to someone, and in walks his strength coach. Rose says...yeah, Jen sure hasn't done much for me. They both request a change. Out goes Jen and the existing strength coach, and in comes Butler's guy.

It's actually a good conspiracy. Butler, Rose, the front office...all on the same page.

Hey...why does a conspiracy theory always have to be evil?

[Red8911]

KC is saying that Butler's strength guy is being considered by Gar. It sure sounds like that are finally being more proactive which is good.

Hopefully these aren't the only changes paxson talked about.These are obvious moves after everyone had injuries this season,but hiring butlers guy is another sign that he is here to stay and Bulls now view him as the main guy.

[Rerisen]

KC is saying that Butler's strength guy is being considered by Gar. It sure sounds like that are finally being more proactive which is good.

Now we are catering to Jimmy left and right all of a sudden?

This org is schizo!

I hope not. I do like the fact that the Bulls are moving on from someone they seemed to hire primarily to keep Rose happy. If it is just Butler's strength coach, I don't necessarily read that as catering to Jimmy. I mean, honestly...there aren't many players who have transformed their bodies in a couple of seasons like Jimmy did, so I'm down with the thought process that says maybe he can help others on the team.

But I have a better conspiracy theory. Butler invites Rose to work out in the offseason. Rose accepts. tHey talk about the routines. Rose says... "what the hell were you doing in the offseasons to turn your body into steel like that". Butler says, let me introduce you to someone, and in walks his strength coach. Rose says...yeah, Jen sure hasn't done much for me. They both request a change. Out goes Jen and the existing strength coach, and in comes Butler's guy.

It's actually a good conspiracy. Butler, Rose, the front office...all on the same page.

Hey...why does a conspiracy theory always have to be evil?

I see it more like this...

Gar: "Hey Jerry, Danny Ainge called, can we trade Jimmy to Boston to start over? Me and Pax have a grand new vision for the next 5 years.

JR: "Go *bleep* yourself Gargamel, if we are in the lottery again next year, I'll ship you back to Iowa. Now go give the team keys to Jimmy Butler."

[MJPipRose]

KC is saying that Butler's strength guy is being considered by Gar. It sure sounds like that are finally being more proactive which is good.

Now we are catering to Jimmy left and right all of a sudden?

This org is schizo!

I hope not. I do like the fact that the Bulls are moving on from someone they seemed to hire primarily to keep Rose happy. If it is just Butler's strength coach, I don't necessarily read that as catering to Jimmy. I mean, honestly...there aren't many players who have transformed their bodies in a couple of seasons like Jimmy did, so I'm down with the thought process that says maybe he can help others on the team.

But I have a better conspiracy theory. Butler invites Rose to work out in the offseason. Rose accepts. tHey talk about the routines. Rose says... "what the hell were you doing in the offseasons to turn your body into steel like that". Butler says, let me introduce you to someone, and in walks his strength coach. Rose says...yeah, Jen sure hasn't done much for me. They both request a change. Out goes Jen and the existing strength coach, and in comes Butler's guy.

It's actually a good conspiracy. Butler, Rose, the front office...all on the same page.

Hey...why does a conspiracy theory always have to be evil?

Yes positivity! We should all stop falling into the media trap which includes all the drama and negativity. Don't even listen to Chicago radio right now, we've become a laughing stock on there.

[Stratmaster]

Now we are catering to Jimmy left and right all of a sudden?

This org is schizo!

I hope not. I do like the fact that the Bulls are moving on from someone they seemed to hire primarily to keep Rose happy. If it is just Butler's strength coach, I don't necessarily read that as catering to Jimmy. I mean, honestly...there aren't many players who have transformed their bodies in a couple of seasons like Jimmy did, so I'm down with the thought process that says maybe he can help others on the team.

But I have a better conspiracy theory. Butler invites Rose to work out in the offseason. Rose accepts. tHey talk about the routines. Rose says... "what the hell were you doing in the offseasons to turn your body into steel like that". Butler says, let me introduce you to someone, and in walks his strength coach. Rose says...yeah, Jen sure hasn't done much for me. They both request a change. Out goes Jen and the existing strength coach, and in comes Butler's guy.

It's actually a good conspiracy. Butler, Rose, the front office...all on the same page.

Hey...why does a conspiracy theory always have to be evil?

I see it more like this...

Gar: "Hey Jerry, Danny Ainge called, can we trade Jimmy to Boston to start over? Me and Pax have a grand new vision for the next 5 years.

JR: "Go *bleep* yourself Gargamel, if we are in the lottery again next year, I'll ship you back to Iowa. Now go give the team keys to Jimmy Butler."

So Rose and his team sulk, and the FO goes out and gets Jen to appease him. Jimmy sulks, and they fire Jen and her strength coach and hire Jimmy's strength coach. That would be sad. I will only believe it if the Director they bring in to replace Jen is Jimmy's shotgun rider who looks for cars behind them in the absence of a rear view mirror.

[MC3]

I wonder will whole team remove now rear view mirror in their cars.

[Jax Teller]

Serious teams replace the head coach, gm, vice president, make trades, etc. The Bulls fire a few trainers and towel boys. The roster you assembled is soft and as brittle as glass, they are not going to stay healthy because you decide to bring in Richard Simmons instead of Jen Swanson. More idiotic finger ponting, blame shifting. Not saying the people fired deserved to keep thier jobs but the move is insignificant, the same nonsense these guys continuously do. The front office is driving down the highway with blinders on, a joke. Get ready to draft the next Tony Snell and sign Brooks to a two year extension. Can we start the Hinrich III campaign?

[RememberLu]

Now we are catering to Jimmy left and right all of a sudden?

This org is schizo!

I hope not. I do like the fact that the Bulls are moving on from someone they seemed to hire primarily to keep Rose happy. If it is just Butler's strength coach, I don't necessarily read that as catering to Jimmy. I mean, honestly...there aren't many players who have transformed their bodies in a couple of seasons like Jimmy did, so I'm down with the thought process that says maybe he can help others on the team.

But I have a better conspiracy theory. Butler invites Rose to work out in the offseason. Rose accepts. tHey talk about the routines. Rose says... "what the hell were you doing in the offseasons to turn your body into steel like that". Butler says, let me introduce you to someone, and in walks his strength coach. Rose says...yeah, Jen sure hasn't done much for me. They both request a change. Out goes Jen and the existing strength coach, and in comes Butler's guy.

It's actually a good conspiracy. Butler, Rose, the front office...all on the same page.

Hey...why does a conspiracy theory always have to be evil?

Yes positivity! We should all stop falling into the media trap which includes all the drama and negativity. Don't even listen to Chicago radio right now, we've become a laughing stock on there.

Our status as a laughing stock has been well earned and deserved. Bulls are in the same place that the Bears were after Lovie Smith was fired. Same type of fans too with delusions of grandeur that want to pretend like their team isn't a laughing stock around the league.

[Stratmaster]

Serious teams replace the head coach, gm, vice president, make trades, etc. The Bulls fire a few trainers and towel boys. The roster you assembled is soft and as brittle as glass, they are not going to stay healthy because you decide to bring in Richard Simmons instead of Jen Swanson. More idiotic finger ponting, blame shifting. Not saying the people fired deserved to keep thier jobs but the move is insignificant, the same nonsense these guys continuously do. The front office is driving down the highway with blinders on, a joke. Get ready to draft the next Tony Snell and sign Brooks to a two year extension. Can we start the Hinrich III campaign?

Hey...if the floors aren't clean at Microsoft, and a known klutz slips and falls because of it, they still fire the janitor, right? If at the same time, their stock has been down for 4 straight quarters, does that mean that firing the janitor was idiotic finger pointing, insignificant or an attempt at blame shifting?

I get the people who are poking fun at this, but your post seems pretty serious, and makes it seem like you want to take every possible event as an opportunity to vilify the front office.

[nitetrain8603]

I'm not entirely sure you can pin the injuries on the staff or coaching but obviously something had to give. I just believe that injuries are now a staple of the NBA landscape and depth is even more important.

They've always been a staple of the NBA but the Chicago FO made it seem like it was a phenomenon with Thibs. Lots of teams have lost their top players to injuries and deal with a lot of injuries. Portland has lost huge ones in B.Walton, S.Bowie, G.Oden and B.Roy. But if you just start looking around you see lots of injuries changing franchise's directions... Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, Y.Ming, TJ Ford, G.Arenas, S.Livingston, Allen Houston, D.Manning, R.Sampson, , Amare, L.Johnson, G.Hill, Reggie Lewis, Lin Bias, L.Ellis, A.McDyess, and so on and so on... Without Rose's injury, Chicago had pretty damn good health under Thibs compared to other teams.

Yes if you look throughout history, teams lose players. But we are not talking the 50 years of Bulls basketball. We are talking most specifically about the past 5-10 years. Everyone has been getting hurt and not just soreness but actual injuries that keep you out for awhile. Jen doesn't deserve all the blame, but she's definitely apart of the last 2-3 years as she has influence the year before she was hired by the Bulls.

[nitetrain8603]

She was not only in charge of Rose, but eventually Joakim Noah, and according to multiple sources, seemed to focus most of her attention on those two only. That didn’t go unnoticed by several players such as Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol, causing a natural rift between the four teammates.

This is what many suspected and it pissed off Thibs and eventually Jimmy, Pau. What we don't know is how much GarPax influenced her or Noah/Derrick used her or she was overstepping her knowledge/authority.


I heard that Coach K was mad at her during the Olympic tryouts in Las Vegas with the same kind of stuff she did with Kyrie.

Yep. And that's when thibs first had an issue with her too

[Jax Teller]

Serious teams replace the head coach, gm, vice president, make trades, etc. The Bulls fire a few trainers and towel boys. The roster you assembled is soft and as brittle as glass, they are not going to stay healthy because you decide to bring in Richard Simmons instead of Jen Swanson. More idiotic finger ponting, blame shifting. Not saying the people fired deserved to keep thier jobs but the move is insignificant, the same nonsense these guys continuously do. The front office is driving down the highway with blinders on, a joke. Get ready to draft the next Tony Snell and sign Brooks to a two year extension. Can we start the Hinrich III campaign?

Hey...if the floors aren't clean at Microsoft, and a known klutz slips and falls because of it, they still fire the janitor, right? If at the same time, their stock has been down for 4 straight quarters, does that mean that firing the janitor was idiotic finger pointing, insignificant or an attempt at blame shifting?

I get the people who are poking fun at this, but your post seems pretty serious, and makes it seem like you want to take every possible event as an opportunity to vilify the front office.

Yeah, because every possible event does nothing to improve the product on the court. They hired these people, they signed these players, they resigned these players, they fired and vilified a highly successful coach, they did nothing trade deadline after trade deadline. They made this mess, they are the ones vilifying themselves. No more passes. They sit there year after year and point fingers, make excuses, shift blame. No other organization would keep these guys this long, no other teams fans would keep supporting them. Sick of it.

[ADDinChicago]

I have no issue with the firing. The issue I have is this will probably be the Bulls' "big move" and they will sell this as some kind of fix when, while it was a problem, it was the least of their problems. This is not some earth shattering move.

[Betta Bulleavit]

I have no issue with the firing. The issue I have is this will probably be the Bulls' "big move" and they will sell this as some kind of fix when, while it was a problem, it was the least of their problems. This is not some earth shattering move.

Would you guys just let the damn off season play out please. All of the ax grinding is unnecessary at the moment and makes us look quite pathetic as a fanbase. Ugh....

[AirP.]

Yes if you look throughout history, teams lose players. But we are not talking the 50 years of Bulls basketball. We are talking most specifically about the past 5-10 years. Everyone has been getting hurt and not just soreness but actual injuries that keep you out for awhile. Jen doesn't deserve all the blame, but she's definitely apart of the last 2-3 years as she has influence the year before she was hired by the Bulls.

Right, I'm saying it's not a new thing and for the Bull's ONE PERSON'S bad luck with his knees skewed those stats greatly. Not only did Rose have horrible injuries, he also decided to not play after he was cleared. I never bought in with the Thibs causing injuries or wearing players out when if you look at player's lives, they probably played more hours of basketball per day/week/month/year before they became professionals then afterwards. But the FO didn't want Thibs in the first place, JR hired him against their wills and they banged that drum to get ownership/media/fans to want him out. Had the FO not undermined their coach maybe the Bulls would have been in the finals last year and possibly been a better team this year.

[Stratmaster]

I have no issue with the firing. The issue I have is this will probably be the Bulls' "big move" and they will sell this as some kind of fix when, while it was a problem, it was the least of their problems. This is not some earth shattering move.

Well, I think we agree on one thing. Firing Jen Swanson has nothing to do with any talent or coaching moves. I think it was a good move. I don't see anyone insinuating it is some type of earth shattering move.

Although, when I think about it, if any of the Bulls rosters over the last few seasons had stayed close to healthy, it might have made a bit of a difference, don't you think?

Here is a partial list of the bulls issues over the past couple of seasons. Would anyone like to
tell me which of these they believe cost the bulls the MOST wins over the last few seasons, and hampered their chances to contend the most. Then, as a GM, what steps might you take to address it?

A. Chemistry on the court.
B. Egomaniac players at the Guard and Center positions
C. Coaching
d. Talent (when healthy and playing at 100%)
e. Injuries

[Ralphb07]

Sources close to T’Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau says he’s offering strength/conditioning job to Travelle Gaines, Jimmy Butler’s trainer

Per Goodwill.... So it's not a conspiracy against Rose but more the guy is well regarded. It looks like a showdown between Gar and Thibs though.

[ADDinChicago]

I have no issue with the firing. The issue I have is this will probably be the Bulls' "big move" and they will sell this as some kind of fix when, while it was a problem, it was the least of their problems. This is not some earth shattering move.

Well, I think we agree on one thing. Firing Jen Swanson has nothing to do with any talent or coaching moves. I think it was a good move. I don't see anyone insinuating it is some type of earth shattering move.

Although, when I think about it, if any of the Bulls rosters over the last few seasons had stayed close to healthy, it might have made a bit of a difference, don't you think?

Here is a partial list of the bulls issues over the past couple of seasons. Would anyone like to
tell me which of these they believe cost the bulls the MOST wins over the last few seasons, and hampered their chances to contend the most. Then, as a GM, what steps might you take to address it?

A. Chemistry on the court.
B. Egomaniac players at the Guard and Center positions
C. Coaching
d. Talent (when healthy and playing at 100%)
e. Injuries

Until they ran into LeBron, not really. And by chance if they did make it to the Finals the year they lost in 5 in the ECF, it would have been a loss as well.

[ADDinChicago]

I have no issue with the firing. The issue I have is this will probably be the Bulls' "big move" and they will sell this as some kind of fix when, while it was a problem, it was the least of their problems. This is not some earth shattering move.

Would you guys just let the damn off season play out please. All of the ax grinding is unnecessary at the moment and makes us look quite pathetic as a fanbase. Ugh....

I don't think having zero or little hope in this FO during the offseason (where everyone has money to spend) is making us a fanbase look "pathetic". It's making many of us look realistic. It's like watching a crappy movie over and over and expecting it to change. It's not going to happen.

[Chitownbulls]

Serious teams replace the head coach, gm, vice president, make trades, etc. The Bulls fire a few trainers and towel boys. The roster you assembled is soft and as brittle as glass, they are not going to stay healthy because you decide to bring in Richard Simmons instead of Jen Swanson. More idiotic finger ponting, blame shifting. Not saying the people fired deserved to keep thier jobs but the move is insignificant, the same nonsense these guys continuously do. The front office is driving down the highway with blinders on, a joke. Get ready to draft the next Tony Snell and sign Brooks to a two year extension. Can we start the Hinrich III campaign?

This..........MIGHT be 1 of the best post Ive ever read on here lol