If Vinny Doesn’t Care About Defense, Why Should I? (Thoughts From The Bulls Bench)
I’ve noticed something watching the last few games. Vinny Del Negro is on his feet, yelling and screaming passionately, almost half the game. Most Bulls fans would probably be appreciative of that kind of commitment and effort from their coach. There’s one problem, though. He only is into the game when his team is on the offensive end. Over the last two games against Boston and Seattle (I refuse to acknowledge the existence of an Oklahoma City franchise), there were numerous times that Vinny was up screaming at his team to get in position on offense and trying to call plays. The second the shot went in or the other team got the rebound, Vinny literally turned around and went back to his seat on the bench.
Why should his team care about defense when he clearly has no interest in it? The Bulls have been decent on offense in spite of Vinny. Emphasis on the word “decent”. They haven’t been great. They ranked only 21st with 106.6 points scored per 100 possessions going into last week. Their defense has been just as sub-par, allowing 108.3 points per 100 possessions which was good for 17th in the league.
His attitude is completely unacceptable. How could a guy like Paxson have been okay with a coach like this? Paxson has been all about defense from day 1, but his coach, Vinny D, seems more interested in pushing back his hair than even paying attention when his team is on defense. I’m curious to hear how much time is spent on defense in practice. My guess would be very little.
How can the players be expected to try on defense when Vinny doesn’t even seem to give a shit? They can’t, and it has been glaringly apparent all season. This team should be at least a good defensive team, if not a great one. Although the backcourt is undersized, Rose, Gordon, and Hinrich are serviceable defenders. Salmons is great at man defense. Tyrus, Miller and Noah are all decent defenders. Noah has been pretty good and Tyrus can defend the paint against driving guards. Pull them together Vinny! Make them a team on the defensive end! Or at least pay attention when they are on the defensive side of the court. Thanks.
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