Vinny Del Negro We Hardly Knew Ye
December 27, 2009 - 8:57 pm by TheRiot
After daily speculation about the status of Vinny Del Negro’s locker room as head coach of the Chicago Bulls it appears it’s only a matter time before it’s, um, not his locker room anymore.
Chris Broussard from ESPN the Magazine reported Sunday it’s only a matter of finding a proper, permanent replacement before Del Negro gets shown the door in Chicago.
Since now seems like an appropriate to reflect on Del Negro’s time in Chicago, let’s consider his brief stay. Last year, in what appears to be his only full season, he went 41-41 and the Bulls took the Boston Celtics, without Kevin Garnett, to a seventh and deciding game in the first round of the playoffs.
Unfortunately for Del Negro the expectations in Chicago probably got too high following that playoff series. So far this year the Bulls are 11-17.
Make no mistake, coaching is only part of the problem in Chicago. The roster leaves a lot to be desired and the blame for that falls squarely on the shoulders John Paxson.
But getting a proven coach — like, say, Byron Scott or Jeff Van Gundy — would go a long way toward showing fans and free agents the club is serious about winning. Who thinks the chances of wooing Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh go up considerably if the coach is someone other than Del Negro?
The sooner Del Negro is shown the exit the better.
2 Responses to “Vinny Del Negro We Hardly Knew Ye”
Byron Scott would be a great hire for Derrick Rose. Which is why it’s too bad it’ll end up being some assistant with no experience.
Oh well, go Blackhawks.
By Fornelli on Dec 27, 2009
What about Avery Johnson? The Hornets flat-out quit on Byron Scott, so I think the only thing he’s really proven is that he can’t be taken seriously.
By Hick Flick on Dec 28, 2009