The Chicago Bulls were able to strike first against the undermanned Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series, but despite the team’s success in the postseason, the speculation continues to swirl about Tom Thibodeau’s future.
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According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the Bulls brass are anxious to move on without Thibodeau:
Amid the twisted culture of Chicago’s regime – where winning is losing, where success is failure – management can’t wait to rid itself of one Tom Thibodeau.
Although all indications point to the team parting ways with Thibodeau in the off-season, regardless of his efforts to win a championship during the current playoff run, the longtime coach isn’t buying into all the speculation. Thibodeau believes all the talk of his inevitable firing is only noise, via Wojnarowski:
“Ahhhh, that’s all noise,” Thibodeau told Yahoo Sports.
Whether all the talk of Thibodeau’s eventual firing is only noise remains to be seen. The rumors continue to circulate around the league of teams sitting back and waiting for Thibodeau to be let go.
The Denver Nuggets and Orlando Magic will likely be ready to jump at the opportunity to hire Thibodeau. Denver has been linked to possibly going after former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Mike D’Antoni, but it appears they may be holding off until Thibodeau’s fate is determined.
The Bulls currently have a 1-0 edge over the Cavaliers and are in good position to take a commanding lead in the series heading into Game 2. Cleveland will be without Kevin Love for the rest of the playoffs and will not have the suspended J.R. Smith back until Game 3 in Chicago.
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