January 5, 2009 11:00 am  |  53 Comments

Vinny Del Negro Unveils His Inner Scott Skiles


by Marcel Mutoni

Ah, you Chicago Bulls. When will you stop being so maddeningly entertaining off the court (and the exact opposite on it?) Hopefully, never.

So, apparently rookie coach Vinny Del Negro picked up a thing or three from former Bulls boss Scott Skiles. Little things, like inane team laws that make sense only to the person instilling them. Thou shall not enjoy a pre-game meal in the locker room, for example. Lest one is willing to be fined, as three Bulls players found out last week. From the Chicago Tribune:

Del Negro felt the same way when he fined Tyrus Thomas, Joakim Noah and Larry Hughes for conduct detrimental to the team. The fines, presumed nominal to remind players who’s in charge, stemmed from the Bulls’ road victory Monday in New Jersey, when Del Negro reminded players of a rule in the team handbook prohibiting pregame eating in the locker room.

Some players grumbled, saying they were unaware of the rule. From there, Del Negro dealt with players directing what he viewed as either improper language or disrespectful behavior toward him.

But of course, that’s not all! Joakim Noah and Andres Nocioni got into it on Friday night over a blown defensive assignment in the midst of a horrific loss at home to the Clippers.

Something obviously has to change in the CHI, and some in the local media seem to think Noah is the problem. Unfortunately for Bulls fans, Joakim appears only to be the tip of their hoops iceberg.

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This story is filed under: NBA, The Wire, Top News

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  • Tzvi T Posted: Jan.5 at 11:02 am
    He wont last another season. NC State 20 years ago, that was his time to shine. Not now.

  • polowthaJon Posted: Jan.5 at 11:03 am
    Its called “professionalism”, gentlemen. Maybe the bulls should try it out once in awhile.

  • kiran Posted: Jan.5 at 11:05 am
    was gonna say first, but… No coment

  • neaorin Posted: Jan.5 at 11:14 am
    Somehow I knew that Joakim Noah had to be prominently involved.

  • Eboy Posted: Jan.5 at 11:25 am
    Yeah, I’ve only been saying that about that waste of size since he was drafted out of Florida.

  • Eboy Posted: Jan.5 at 11:26 am
    But you know, he’s a good dude off the court.

  • Jukai Posted: Jan.5 at 11:45 am
    Right on Eboy, Joakim Noah has never won ANYTHING or lead anyone to ANYTHING on the basketball court, and NEVER will!

  • Diesel Posted: Jan.5 at 11:45 am
    The three dudes that got fined have been complaining to the CHicago media off and on all season, so I’m sure the fines meant more than they appear. Noah, Thomas, Hughes all need to go. I’ll throw Gorden in that group too if he wants more money. Where’s Mchale to make a deal when you need him.

  • vmcb Posted: Jan.5 at 11:56 am
    NOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

  • Eboy Posted: Jan.5 at 11:56 am
    Jukai, you moron, if you call his role on the Gators as “leading”, then you, as per usual, fail at life as a basketball commentor. He was the 4th or 5th most important member of the Gators squads that won titles, and his lack of basketball talent, similar to your lack of basketball knowledge, has shown through from the day he played his first NBA game, making the continued failing of the Bulls one of the most disappointing stories of recent NBA history. Oh wait, he’s really “led” the Bulls resurgunce with his scary Magic Johnson-like leadership he displayed in college. Idiot.

  • Russ Bengtson Posted: Jan.5 at 12:26 pm
    The Celtics were eating in the locker room last night, so I guess they’re a bunch of unprofessional losers who suck at life. Vinny Del Negro is an overmatched blow-dried buffoon who can’t control anything on the court, so he’s desperate to set some sort of rule that he CAN enforce so it looks like he’s doing something. I can’t WAIT until he gets fired. Pax, too. Keep Rose and start over.

  • Eboy Posted: Jan.5 at 12:31 pm
    Derrick Rose deserves a thousand times better than this.

  • Bryan Posted: Jan.5 at 12:37 pm
    You and me both have been saying that eboy. Noah is absolute garbage.

  • Roy Posted: Jan.5 at 12:43 pm
    Seems the Bulls had this one coming…

  • Michael Posted: Jan.5 at 1:03 pm
    noah would be a good energy guy on a decent team. he will never be star but you cant say he doesnt have a role to play somewhere in the league. the bulls are just a mess.

  • Blue Posted: Jan.5 at 1:07 pm
    Look on the bright side…they can wear headbands if they want…

  • slamfan4life Posted: Jan.5 at 1:13 pm
    i cant believe that theyre doing so bad this year, pleeeaseeee oh pleaseee get into the playoffs

  • underdog Posted: Jan.5 at 1:15 pm
    C’mon Eboy, Noah was final four M.O.P. That’s a pretty nice award for a guy who is only “4th or 5th most important member” of a team. I’m not a big fan of Noah either, but I think he’s not a bust.

  • Jukai Posted: Jan.5 at 1:17 pm
    Eboy: he pretty much was the guy that energized the whole squad. Are you going to tell me that Horford, the dude who has shown emotions twice in his lifetime, or Green, the guy who is so energetic that he put his D-League team to sleep, had any part in getting the Gators pumped for their NCAA run? I’m not saying he called the plays or gave the speeches, but when it was time to start running on the court, he was the guy people looked at to get hyped… which is what the Bulls desperately need.

  • Jukai Posted: Jan.5 at 1:18 pm
    Plus, co-sign whatever underdog said.

  • Russ Bengtson Posted: Jan.5 at 1:20 pm
    This isn’t about Noah anyway. It’s about an entirely unqualified “coach” instilling stupid rules when he can’t even get guys to play together. Thanks, Pax. Thanks a lot.

  • TADOne Posted: Jan.5 at 1:31 pm
    What exactly was the reason again they didn’t want to hire D’Antoni?

  • Bryan Posted: Jan.5 at 1:33 pm
    This is the year of awful coaches getting jobs.

  • Josh D Posted: Jan.5 at 2:13 pm
    They can’t get rid of Joakim Noah, he’s the only inside scorer they have

  • Diesel Posted: Jan.5 at 2:24 pm
    Josh do you watch Bulls games? Noah gets maybe 4 points a game while Gray and Gooden get double digit post scoring every game. Noah is the worst low post scorer they have. Noah would have a place in this league if he really did bring energy, but he’s been lazy, out of breath, and refusing to practice most of this season…he lost the one attribute that teams liked about him.

  • what Posted: Jan.5 at 3:03 pm
    I don’t know about Noah, but I can say for sure that Horford, along with Bibby, is one of the vocal leaders on the Hawks. Joe Johnson doesn’t talk much and Josh Smith is more of a guy who needs to be led. So if Horford really was the key leader on that Gators team, while Noah got all the media attention, it wouldn’t surprise me.

  • Tommy Patron Posted: Jan.5 at 4:27 pm
    Noah is a tremendous energy player. Negative energy, that is, where he comes in and sucks the energy out of the other four Bulls on the floor by (when on defense) standing around, breathing hard and refusing to rotate, and (on offense) running towards picks and roll in progress, getting shoved into the basket stand and crashing the boards late with no hope of getting a rebound, then being beat downcourt by his man. What a fake-hustle buster.

  • Solito Posted: Jan.5 at 4:40 pm
    Joke-Achim Noah is spoiled… A Stars Son in private schools all his life, who never went passt his natural ability… failing to learn the fundamentals of the game… because he thought he was the next big thing (and listened to every idiot who told him so). No wonder Nocioni cussed him out. With his high Bball IQ Nocioni has every right to set him streigth. Also, I second everybody who thinks Del Negro is an idiot.

  • Z Posted: Jan.5 at 4:43 pm
    Eff that energy talk, Noah just looks busy. He has two nba-level skills : passing and rebounding. That’s it. I wish that people would dead the NCAA talk, this is the pros! The reason why he was a ‘leader’ of that Gators squad is that he was the most outspoken. I mean, did someone ever think that he was better than Horford?
    The REAL problem with Noah is that he has a prima donna personnality without the actual game that makes people put up with prima donnas. I mean, who’s willing to take sh– from a guy that gets you 5 and 5 on his good night?! From what I read, he was questioning Nocioni on a defensive rotation the other night. Are you kidding me?!

  • Chris Cason Posted: Jan.5 at 5:34 pm
    That loss was to the Cavs not Clippers. the bulls beat the Clipps.

  • Zee! Posted: Jan.5 at 5:40 pm
    Maybe Noah needs to stop blowin trees before games, then he wouldn’t eat in the locker room.

  • Jacob Posted: Jan.5 at 6:32 pm
    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Zee is right!

  • BETCATS Posted: Jan.5 at 8:19 pm
    underneath it all, we are all Scott Skiles in various forms of exsistance. Stand strong vinny!

  • Russ Bengtson Posted: Jan.5 at 8:56 pm
    I don’t have any major problems with Joakim Noah. He is who we thought he was. You think he wouldn’t be a valuable piece to a team like the Spurs? You think he’d still be acting out? The problem with the Bulls is the overall makeup of the team, and the man John Paxson tabbed to lead it. That’s my dead horse, and I’m going to continue beating it.

  • Dacre Posted: Jan.5 at 9:24 pm
    I am just so glad Vinny didnt take the Phoenix job…Shaq would have been in law enforcement by now and I think we would have seen Nash cry publicly.

  • Z Posted: Jan.5 at 9:30 pm
    Okay, the Spurs thing has got to stop. Whenever someone is acting out, it gets pointed that he would thrive in SA. Marbury, D-Miles, Ricky D, Corey Maggettee, Noah, etc. The Spurs are a great organization that is well ran. That doesn’t mean that the above mentioned guys aren’t knuckleheads. They are. So Noah’s a punk. End of. He hasn’t done anything to merit everyone’s putting up with his tantrums.

  • Russ Bengtson Posted: Jan.5 at 10:53 pm
    The fact that you’d put Noah alongside such all-time malcontents as Marbury and Tricky Ricky means I no longer need to read your comments.

  • Z Posted: Jan.5 at 11:19 pm
    That’s too easy, Russ : picking on a frivolous detail in the argumentation instead of arguing the bigger point that I was trying to make. Noah has not done anything yet in the L to open his mouth and talk that ish. Disagree?

  • Russ Bengtson Posted: Jan.5 at 11:44 pm
    Yes, I do. Most of Noah’s alleged complaints last year were about legit issues. And SOMEONE on that team had to speak out last year. If anything, you can argue that Noah cares too much, which is certainly preferable to someone who doesn’t care at all. Is he everything I’d want out of a top-10 pick? No. But he’s better than Marcuz Fizer. (My larger point is that if the team had a legit coach and some veteran leadership, none of this would even be an issue.
    Instead, the Bulls have done virtually everything wrong for the past 10 years. It’s amazing, actually.)

  • Russ Bengtson Posted: Jan.5 at 11:45 pm
    He’s better than Marcus Fizer, too.

  • TADOne Posted: Jan.5 at 11:56 pm
    Damn, i’m not even sure where to begin on fixing the Bulls. Deng looks average since getting his loot. Tyrus still appears lost 3/4 of the time he is in the game. Ben Gordon still blows up 1 outta every 4 games, but disappears too much. Nocioni has heart and probably needs more burn. Vinny is just plain overmatched. Pax too. I think I know why Rose cut himself with that knife.

  • Russ Bengtson Posted: Jan.6 at 12:23 am
    Leave the gun, take Nocioni.

  • jay Posted: Jan.6 at 8:01 am
    I love these bulls! :-)

  • Z Posted: Jan.6 at 9:12 am
    The Bulls are a hot mess, I think we can all agree on that. The jury is still out but it looks like I was DEAD WRONG on Luol AND Gordon. I thought the former would be a franchise player (he’s not at the moment) and the latter was expendable (he’s not, he’s their only legit ‘bucket-getter’). Seriously, I’d keep Rose, Nocioni, Thabo (he’s intriguing as a lockdown 2-guard) and Ty Thomas. I know, I know, he doesn’t get it and perhaps never will… but he looks like a dude that will put up 20-10 once he figures it out. He’s too talented to give up on him just yet. It’s time to blow this ish up in the Chi. There is no core to build around.

  • Z Posted: Jan.6 at 9:14 am
    Mmm… I contradicted myself. BG is expendable, what I meant was that he’s doing his job pretty well right now (which is to get buckets). You win with superstars in the L, Pax needs to get on a package deal type trade.

  • Orlando Woolridge Posted: Jan.6 at 1:26 pm
    Please hire Eddie Jordan now! Or Eddie Van Halen…just get rid of Del Negro so I can think about watching some games again.

  • Dacre Posted: Jan.6 at 6:38 pm
    Z…sorry your comments are kind of wack… why keep Ty Thom…?? Because he “looks” like he could go for 20 and 10..?
    The whole building needs to be blown up…and moved back over the other side of the road.

  • Z Posted: Jan.6 at 8:25 pm
    Why keep him? See O’Neal, Jermaine. Bigs take time.

  • Russ Bengtson Posted: Jan.6 at 8:48 pm
    Tyrus Thomas has a much better chance of becoming the next Stromile Swift than he does of becoming the next Jermaine O’Neal. Jermaine may not have played much in Portland, but he practiced hard and put up numbers whenever he got minutes. I would trade Tyrus in a heartbeat. The only keepers to me are Rose and Nocioni. Maybe Gray and Sefolosha. Everyone else can go. They need some sort of veteran leadership in the worst way, because Larry frickin’ Hughes isn’t it. And if anyone’s seen Luol Deng, please call the Bulls front office.

  • Z Posted: Jan.6 at 11:35 pm
    You see way more Bulls games than me, so I guess you have a better sample to assess Tyrus’ game. However, I’ve seen him do things instinctively that makes me uneasy with giving up on him just yet. Things that one-dimensional leapers like Stro can’t do. It’s just a flash but I remember one play against the Raps where he crossed at the elbow from right to left then finished on the other side of the rim with a nice little scoop shot. You would have thought that he was a 2-guard who’s been doing this all his life. Granted, that’s just one play but isn’t it a coach’s job to help talented players express their.. talent? Now, Ty is a borderline knucklehead, I’ll give you that but contrary to Noah I believe he has game. I’m giving him til the end of his 4th season to figure it out.

  • Dacre Posted: Jan.7 at 12:39 am
    I just want Kirk to find a home now that this has become Rose’s Garden…. perhaps he could get to PHX when Nash finished up…?

  • JamTeq Posted: Jan.7 at 6:06 am
    Just ’cause Nocioni has Heart doesn’t mean he’s worth keeping. His stats this season suck, he’s too busy having an opinion on everyone elses game. Granted, Gordon is hung up on the paycheck but he is the closest the Bulls have to a scorer, Rose needs guidance to be a good Point guard & Deng needs a good kick in the ass. Hughes & Hinrich can go, Ty & Noah Need a strong Vet to kick them into shape ’cause they both got potential.

  • Orlando Woolridge Posted: Jan.7 at 12:31 pm
    Russ, don’t you think Gooden is serviceable at the 4? I don’t how good or bad his contract is and I’m not saying he’s chris Bosh or anything, but he seems to fill his role well enough that they could concentrate on getting a starting center to go along with him.

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