duncan228
12-24-2009, 09:00 PM
Former Spur stays in charge of Bulls (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Former_Spur_stays_in_charge_of_Bulls.html)
By Andrew Seligman
If Vinny Del Negro woke up feeling a little uneasy Thursday, Scott Skiles and Tim Floyd probably would have understood.
After all, Christmas Eve hasn’t been kind to Chicago Bulls coaches.
Skiles got fired two years ago, and Floyd was forced to resign in 2001. But for all the speculation about Del Negro’s future, Scrooge was nowhere in sight this time. Then again, with a 10-17 record, there isn’t much cheer to douse around the Bulls these days.
Not after a rash of blowouts. Not after a loss to the New Jersey Nets. And not after an epic meltdown against Sacramento this week that did nothing to quiet the critics.
“I think it frustrates everybody, but I don’t have enough time to dwell on those things,” said Del Negro, in his second season. “I’m too focused in on the next opponent, preparing the right way. Managing people, managing expectations in this league is very difficult to do. I can’t control that. Things are out of your control about what is said, what is interpreted.”
Lately, it hasn’t been good.
With Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose, the Bulls were hoping to build on a promising finish last season, when they came on strong in the second half and lost to Boston in seven games in the first round of the playoffs. Instead, they’ve fallen by 14 or more points nine times.
In one particularly brutal eight-day stretch, they got danced on by LeBron James during a loss to Cleveland, lost by more than 30 to Toronto and Atlanta, got blown out by Boston and fell to the lowly Nets.
The biggest indignity, however, came on Monday, when they led Sacramento by 35 in the second half, only to fall 102-98 at home. The next night, Chicago trailed by 22 at New York before rallying in an 88-81 loss.
“I have to get better,” said Del Negro a former Spurs guard. “The team has to get better. There’s no question, but that’s the challenge. To me, life is about challenges.
“I’m always more positive in terms of the glass is half full instead of half empty because of where we are as a team.”
By Andrew Seligman
If Vinny Del Negro woke up feeling a little uneasy Thursday, Scott Skiles and Tim Floyd probably would have understood.
After all, Christmas Eve hasn’t been kind to Chicago Bulls coaches.
Skiles got fired two years ago, and Floyd was forced to resign in 2001. But for all the speculation about Del Negro’s future, Scrooge was nowhere in sight this time. Then again, with a 10-17 record, there isn’t much cheer to douse around the Bulls these days.
Not after a rash of blowouts. Not after a loss to the New Jersey Nets. And not after an epic meltdown against Sacramento this week that did nothing to quiet the critics.
“I think it frustrates everybody, but I don’t have enough time to dwell on those things,” said Del Negro, in his second season. “I’m too focused in on the next opponent, preparing the right way. Managing people, managing expectations in this league is very difficult to do. I can’t control that. Things are out of your control about what is said, what is interpreted.”
Lately, it hasn’t been good.
With Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose, the Bulls were hoping to build on a promising finish last season, when they came on strong in the second half and lost to Boston in seven games in the first round of the playoffs. Instead, they’ve fallen by 14 or more points nine times.
In one particularly brutal eight-day stretch, they got danced on by LeBron James during a loss to Cleveland, lost by more than 30 to Toronto and Atlanta, got blown out by Boston and fell to the lowly Nets.
The biggest indignity, however, came on Monday, when they led Sacramento by 35 in the second half, only to fall 102-98 at home. The next night, Chicago trailed by 22 at New York before rallying in an 88-81 loss.
“I have to get better,” said Del Negro a former Spurs guard. “The team has to get better. There’s no question, but that’s the challenge. To me, life is about challenges.
“I’m always more positive in terms of the glass is half full instead of half empty because of where we are as a team.”