NBA assistant coaches are like skinny jeans and neon colors, so in right now (or so I’ve been told). On the heels of Portland Trail Blazers assistant Monty Williams being offered the New Orleans Hornets position, it looks like another assistant coach will be taking over head coaching duties. While the announcement won’t be made until after the NBA Finals conclude, multiple sources are reporting that Boston Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau has accepted an offer to take over as the new head coach for the Chicago Bulls.
Thibodeau is frequently credited as the mastermind behind Boston’s stifling defense, and he would certainly bring some of that grit and grime to Chicago. He’ll have some exciting players to work with in Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah. And let’s not forget, Chicago hopes to be a major player in the free agency frenzy coming up. While Thibodeau is certainly respected within the Celtics organization and has a solid reputation throughout the league, it will be interesting to see if this hiring affects Chicago’s ability to lure in a top-tier free agent.
In all likelihood, Thibodeau will be a solid NBA coach. He has had full support from Doc Rivers and Jeff Van Gundy as being one of the top candidates out there. And while he will still be somewhat of an unknown commodity for potential free-agent acquisitions, Chicago is still such a storied franchise (and amazing city) that they shouldn’t have much trouble making their case. That and, let’s face it, they’ve got money to blow and the team is headed in the right direction.
It’s always good to see somebody who has paid their dues get rewarded for their efforts. Thibodeau, 50, has served as an assistant with seven teams over 18 NBA seasons, so he certainly isn’t coming into this without extensive time in the trenches. Thibodeau knows the game, but I think I’m going to miss the Vinny Del Negro sideline distractions.
