Talkative Tom

I realize I'm a little late in weighing in on this, but I didn't have time over the weekend.  After the Bulls came up short in an attempted comeback against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, Tom Thibodeau was noticeably upset.  The Bulls had a large deficit at halftime, during which we can only assume things boiled over in the locker room.  Good thing we didn't have to hear the uncensored version of the postgame comments Thibodeau delivered.  You'd think we wouldn't hear a coach's soundbite on the local radio sportscast after a preseason game, but they were interesting enough to air to a broad audience.  Thibodeau was particularly upset with the lack of production from his bench, which saw two players start (Jimmy Butler and Marco Belinelli) in the following night's loss to Minnesota.

To the new Bulls, here's what you signed up for.  Thibodeau is attached to basketball the way teenage girls are attached to cell phones.  He's been said to sleep in his office.  He's not married, so that leaves even more time for analyzing game film and planning strategy.  There's a reason he's so respected around the NBA and many are left scratching their heads as to why it took so long for him to become a head coach at this level.  The Bulls had Vinny Del Negro, who currently runs a Clippers team with more talent, but has the same mannerisms that cost his former team more victories when he was at the helm.  Once Del Negro was out the door, the team rightfully decided Thibodeau was the right captain as the NBA was about to enter a new era.

This is a situation that could be applied to any work situation out there.  If you think your supervisor is a jerk for calling you out in any setting as Thibodeau did, don't think he/she finds it enjoyable.  They do it because they care.  They want you to do a good job and they don't want to look bad themselves.  When things go to hell, they're the ones that have to take heat for it, so they need to express themselves somehow.  We may not agree with that method, but that's how many choose to go about their business.

Supervisors can also add that some tough times are ahead, giving them more reason to tell you to step up your game.  Such was the case here when today's Sun-Times reported Thibodeau as saying to his guys that some tough times are ahead without Derrick Rose.  He's right.  Everybody has seen it coming since that dark moment last spring.  This may only be the preseason, but it can give you an idea of what to expect out of a team when the 82-game grind begins (not always, though).

What's done is done.  Time to look ahead to tomorrow's exhibition clash with the Milwaukee Bucks, who could contend for the final playoff spot in the East this year.  Thibodeau will be on his game.  Will his team be as well?