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Imrem: Time to own it: Chicago Bulls need change

A good way to determine what a struggling sports franchise should do is ask what a new owner would do after taking control.

So let's operate under the premise that I just bought the Chicago Bulls.

Never mind that Forbes pegged them as worth $2.3 billion and my net worth is about $23.

Never mind also that the impression always has been that Jerry Reinsdorf would keep the Bulls and sell the White Sox first.

Forget all that, and for the sake of conversation allow me to make Reinsdorf an offer for the Bulls that he couldn't refuse.

(My goodness, $2.3 billion: Imagine what this team would cost if it made the playoffs and operated professionally instead of haphazardly.)

A new owner would have to decide which Bulls decision-makers to retain.

Would it be executive vice president John Paxson, who hasn't won anything since being named general manager 13 years ago and being promoted seven years ago?

Would it be current general manager Gar Forman, who hasn't won anything since joining the Bulls 18 years ago and being named GM seven years ago?

Would it be head coach Fred Hoiberg, who didn't win anything after being inserted into an unenviable position a year ago?

No, no and no.

Based solely on results, a new owner like me wouldn't keep any of them in their current jobs.

Paxson would be demoted to Bulls ambassador. Forman would be demoted back to scout. Hoiberg would be demoted up to somewhere in the front office.

As the new guy with a new basketball toy, I would remake the Bulls' basketball operation and try something new with some new people.

I would have the advantage of having watched the Bulls implode this season, the continuation of futility since the Jordan Dynasty broke up in 1998. It became clear that whatever was being done wasn't working and isn't likely to begin working.

Any fair evaluation of those in key basketball roles - from Paxson to Forman to Hoiberg - is they have failed.

Paxson failed to create a championship culture. Forman collected a roster full of legitimate NBA players but failed to build a team. Hoiberg failed to make the playoffs and merely added to the perception of Bulls dysfunction.

When Joakim Noah was healthy, he and Pau Gasol seemed uncomfortable playing together in the frontcourt.

During the brief periods when Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler have been healthy at the same time, they appeared uncomfortable playing together in the backcourt.

When Tom Thibodeau was head coach, and when Vinny Del Negro was before him and perhaps Scott Skiles was before both of them, the front office seemed uncomfortable with each of them and vice versa.

Paxson and Forman are the constants in all this: They acquired the players and hired the coaches but never figured out how to make the pieces fit comfortably.

GarPax have had their chance, but as new owner I can't give them one more chance to rebuild the roster one more time and sooner or later hire one more head coach.

No new owner could … nor should the old owner, though it would be an upset if he didn't.

Sorry, guys, but as owner in chief I'm going to have to turn basketball operations over to fresh faces with fresh ideas.

Boy, playing fantasy basketball is easier than I expected.

mimrem@dailyherald.com

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