New Head Coach Mega Thread

[MrFortune3]

If Eversley and Karnisovas are prioritizing development and player relationships, then David Vanterpool should be the coach. He was instrumental in the development of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum among others. When a player of Lillard's stature and mindset speaks like this about a coach, you should listen:

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Also, in the last NBA General Manager's Survey, Vanterpool tied for the league's best assistant coach.

Who is the best assistant coach in the NBA?

Dan Burke, Indiana -- 11%
Chris Finch, New Orleans -- 11%
David Vanterpool, Minnesota -- 11%

I'm not going to pretend to know anything about his Xs and Os, but on the surface Vanterpool seems like a very logical choice.

Like I said before, given that the person hired is usually the non usual suspect, I can see Vanterpool getting the nod. It seems like AK plays it close to the vest and makes the best hire rather than the most popular one.

[HomoSapien]

I think it will be Unseld Jr.

[bulls_troy]

The timing hurts his chances but ultimately unless they're proven true he will still get a gig sooner than later.

The whole thing is fishy. Its his ex-wife. Why now? Why not earlier? Why wait until he has been head coach for a game and he's being mentioned as a potential HC.

This just stinks of ticked off ex trying to ruin him

Interesting thing is that there son is on Twitter calling out his mom for lying and being childish. I have my doubts that what she is saying is true. Which makes it more difficult on women who actually are being abused. Jmo

Absolutely. The whole thing is extremely difficult for those who actually are, because those who haven't even but claim they have, make it so much worse.

If AG's son is coming out on the socials calling out his mum for lying, then im definitely sticking with my statement that this is a ticked off ex wife trying to ruin her ex husband's future career aspects.

[MrFortune3]

I think it will be Unseld Jr.

He makes a lot of sense. Might actually make the most sense given his connections to AK, being a guy who is seen as good at player development and a high end defensive coach.

[Darius Miles Davis]

Still excited about the idea of Udoka. Watching videos of him talking basketball show an extremely bright basketball mind. I'm intrigued by what I hear about Vanterpool as well.

[rmlsr]

I think it will be Unseld Jr.

He makes a lot of sense. Might actually make the most sense given his connections to AK, being a guy who is seen as good at player development and a high end defensive coach.

I am just glad there just a really good selection of asst coaches to choose from. Now it’s up to AK to pick the right one.

[MrFortune3]

I think it will be Unseld Jr.

He makes a lot of sense. Might actually make the most sense given his connections to AK, being a guy who is seen as good at player development and a high end defensive coach.

I am just glad there just a really good selection of asst coaches to choose from. Now it’s up to AK to pick the right one.

It will be interesting to see who is ultimately selected and who they select to run the developmental side.

[rtblues]

Who you got? The candidates leaked have been:

Wes Unseld Jr
Adrian Griffin
Kenny Atkinson
Darvin Ham
Ime Udoka (not in most current article but previously)

I think Darvin Ham is my guy. Do not want Kenny Atkinson.

After listening to all of the potential candidates on this list speak, on various YouTube interviews, I am most impressed by Udoka and Unseld Jr. Griffin seems to be out at the moment, but he was never my choice, and now due to all of the recent baggage, that's just not the way to go into a "fresh start". Whether it is true, half-true, embellished, or never happened, unfortunately for him, his image now is tainted, I've noticed his name is now missing from latest candidates lists as well. Never buy a problem.

Kenny Atkinson has received a lot of praise, but there's some things about him that I just don't like and I feel that some of the other choices probably would connect better with the Bulls' young roster. And lastly, to me, Ham seems like the least ready for a Head Coaching position in the NBA. His time and place will come, just not Chicago in 2021.

Oh, and I want absolutely NO PART of some of the people mentioned in this thread, specifically Jason Kidd and Mark Jackson. Hardest of Passes on both of them, who, thankfully haven't really been mentioned in any official way by any Bulls spokespeople, unless I missed that. With assistant coaches, where there really aren't NBA track records of actual head coaching jobs to review and consider, it's very difficult to assess potential success in such a position, so we're all just sort of saying stuff based on no or little sample size, outside of Atkinson.

Simply based on listening to the candidates discuss basketball and coaching, I am going, 1. Udoka 2. Unseld Jr. and stopping there.
As for not on this list possibilities and people not named Kidd or Jackson, I'd be interested in who else the board most interested in and the case for that choice.

[LateNight]

Unseld brings a lot to the table. He's really great in interviews, seems to have a good relationship with the press. He started in scouting. and his background helps him understands the human side of this for players and their families.

He might be my #1 at the moment

[FriedRise]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[Chi town]

Winning now and AK saying he will add 1-2 FAs...

Seems like Dunn and Val will be gone.

Bet vet PG and vet wing will be the FAs on one year deals.

[dougthonus]

Winning now and AK saying he will add 1-2 FAs...

Seems like Dunn and Val will be gone.

Bet vet PG and vet wing will be the FAs on one year deals.

The Bulls only have the MLE, BAE, and vet min deals to work with, so we aren't adding any exciting FAs. That would change only if the insane happens and Otto Porter opts out or if you could trade someone into cap space, but both of those possibilities are almost impossible to accept as real possibilities.

[drosestruts]

I'm usually opposed to re-tread coaches and almost always like looking at top assistants around the league who could be the next breakout head coach, yet after years of mediocrity (at best) and league-wide embarrassment from our coaches I'm leaning more than ever towards hiring a known name with experience. And the guys that stands out the most to me right now who fits that and meets those qualifications is Stan Van Gundy.

He's been awesome to listen to during broadcasts from Orlando. He's so smart when it comes to basketball and seems to be able to connect with players well while still being demanding of them.

[johnnyvann840]

I'm usually opposed to re-tread coaches and almost always like looking at top assistants around the league who could be the next breakout head coach, yet after years of mediocrity (at best) and league-wide embarrassment from our coaches I'm leaning more than ever towards hiring a known name with experience. And the guys that stands out the most to me right now who fits that and meets those qualifications is Stan Van Gundy.

He's been awesome to listen to during broadcasts from Orlando. He's so smart when it comes to basketball and seems to be able to connect with players well while still being demanding of them.

He would be my top choice as well. However, I'm OK with going with a young unknown like Unseld Jr. or Udoka. For the same reasons you mention along with his record as a head coach, SVG would be great. He's also a great personality and would make post game pressers a lot of fun. As stated earlier, just keep him away from drafting and any FO duties and we'll be fine.

[Chi town]

I'm usually opposed to re-tread coaches and almost always like looking at top assistants around the league who could be the next breakout head coach, yet after years of mediocrity (at best) and league-wide embarrassment from our coaches I'm leaning more than ever towards hiring a known name with experience. And the guys that stands out the most to me right now who fits that and meets those qualifications is Stan Van Gundy.

He's been awesome to listen to during broadcasts from Orlando. He's so smart when it comes to basketball and seems to be able to connect with players well while still being demanding of them.

He would be my top choice as well. However, I'm OK with going with a young unknown like Unseld Jr. or Udoka. For the same reasons you mention along with his record as a head coach, SVG would be great. He's also a great personality and would make post game pressers a lot of fun. As stated earlier, just keep him away from drafting and any FO duties and we'll be fine.

I’ve always liked SVG. Never been a fan of JVG.

I’d still go a rising young guy and I think AK will to. It’s creating the player first, diverse, fwd thinking culture AK is going for. I’ll be surprised if the coach is white, namely due to players first being primary black players.

[johnnyvann840]

I'm usually opposed to re-tread coaches and almost always like looking at top assistants around the league who could be the next breakout head coach, yet after years of mediocrity (at best) and league-wide embarrassment from our coaches I'm leaning more than ever towards hiring a known name with experience. And the guys that stands out the most to me right now who fits that and meets those qualifications is Stan Van Gundy.

He's been awesome to listen to during broadcasts from Orlando. He's so smart when it comes to basketball and seems to be able to connect with players well while still being demanding of them.

He would be my top choice as well. However, I'm OK with going with a young unknown like Unseld Jr. or Udoka. For the same reasons you mention along with his record as a head coach, SVG would be great. He's also a great personality and would make post game pressers a lot of fun. As stated earlier, just keep him away from drafting and any FO duties and we'll be fine.

I’ve always liked SVG. Never been a fan of JVG.

I’d still go a rising young guy and I think AK will to. It’s creating the player first, diverse, fwd thinking culture AK is going for. I’ll be surprised if the coach is white, namely due to players first being primary black players.

I hope they hire the best coach that's available, I don't care what color he is (or she.. although Becky Hammon is probably the only female candidate out there that has a chance, at all) . I hope they don't think like that (that the coach HAS to be black) as it limits them. Although, by that logic that they should hire a black coach because the players are primarily black, hiring a woman would be out because the players are not just primarily men, but exclusively men.

[The Explorer]

I think in the Bulls case, a former player like Udoka or Griffin would serve will in terms of player relationships. I am not familiar at all with Darvin Ham to have an opinion on him.

[kodo]

I'm usually opposed to re-tread coaches and almost always like looking at top assistants around the league who could be the next breakout head coach, yet after years of mediocrity (at best) and league-wide embarrassment from our coaches I'm leaning more than ever towards hiring a known name with experience. And the guys that stands out the most to me right now who fits that and meets those qualifications is Stan Van Gundy.

Agreed here, I think SVG is one of the better coaches recently. He got Detroit to the playoffs with 44 wins with his "star" player being Reggie Jackson. I think we have a better first option in Lavine, I'd bet he'd do even better. But I think at his level, he wouldn't be interested in teaching NBA 101 to a bunch of kids like Chicago has. Like Thibs in Minny, I think all the losing takes a pretty hard emotional toll on a guy like SVG.

One thing that's going to be critical for any new Chicago coach is that he knows how to use big men, which is actually rare in the NBA now. Most coaches don't really run plays for bigs well, even if they have a superstar like AD in NO. Most coaches just really run 4 out, and some run 5 out. HOU has stopped pretending and just play PJ Tucker at center. SVG is one of the few coaches that has always gotten great production from his bigs, even Blake Griffin's game really expanded once he got to Detroit.

With two of our top picks spent already on Lauri & Wendell, the next coach needs to know how to use Lauri as more than a Matt Bonner and Wendell as more than a garbage man, because that's what Jimbo did as the easiest road to coaching this team. If the next coach's plan for our PF is to just sit out there like a tall Kyle Korver, we won't have actually changed anything.

[johnnyvann840]

I'm sold on Vanterpool after reading this...

https://www.startribune.com/timberwolves-david-vanterpool-builds-nba-players-by-first-building-trust-relationships/566824732/

[Bulls Fan 23]

I'm sold on Vanterpool after reading this...

https://www.startribune.com/timberwolves-david-vanterpool-builds-nba-players-by-first-building-trust-relationships/566824732/

Me too. Go get him AK