Schuster: All Signs Still Point To Tom Thibodeau's Exit
By David Schuster--
(CBS) Slowly but surely, it's come into focus what will happen with the Bulls in regards to their coaching situation.
There's no chance that Tom Thibodeau and Bulls management will resolve their many issues, which go far beyond the difference of opinions on minutes limits, practice habits and offensive philosophy. This a big personality conflict between Thibodeau and his bosses, executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson and general manager Gar Forman. Simply put, they don't like each other, and they definitely don't trust each other.
The divorce/firing is coming soon, so it's worth looking at what happens next. Unless something drastic and unexpected occurs, Fred Hoiberg will indeed be the Bulls' next coach after five years of leading Iowa State. This has been rumored for quite some time, but it's becoming clearer by the day that his hiring is both imminent and logical from the Bulls' standpoint.
Hoiberg is close to both Forman and Paxson and is familiar with the Bulls organization, having been a former player in Chicago. And though the Bulls brass is not looking for a "yes man," they are looking for a coach who will share their same philosophies and not fight them at every turn -- which Thibodeau has done.
What makes Hoiberg's hiring more and more likely is the news that one of his former players at Iowa State, Royce White, is considering an NBA comeback and has received interest from the Bulls, as was first reported by RealGM's Shams Charania.
If you're not familiar with White's story, he was an incredible talent who dropped down to No. 16 in the first round of the 2012 NBA draft. White has been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder that makes flying difficult for him, and the disorder affected his basketball career.
White is close to Hoiberg, and he remains a talent. He has great size at 6-foot-9 and 260 pounds, and his ball-handling skills are that of a much smaller man. If he could overcome his anxiety problems, he could be a real asset.
Nothing is etched in stone, but the picture is becoming clearer by the day.
David Schuster is a reporter, update anchor and weekend host for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @Schumouse.
