Skiles: Players aren't tuning me out

A popular perception around the NBA is that Bulls coach Scott Skiles comes with an expiration date.

The biggest reason for this might be Skiles' experience in Phoenix, when he took the Suns to the playoffs twice, then stepped down midway through the 2001-02 season with a 25-26 record.

The theory is Skiles pushes his players hard and it works for a while, but they eventually begin to tune him out. Now some critics have concluded that could be an explanation for the Bulls' 3-10 start this season.

Asked about the issue following Thursday's practice at the Berto Center, Skiles stated confidently that it doesn't exist.

"I've never personally thought I ever even came close to (going over) an edge (in Phoenix)," he said. "You've got to be careful. If a team trades a player and a player says things, you've got to be careful what you're buying into. That's just the nature of pro sports."

Skiles was referring to repeated negative comments in the past from guard Jason Kidd, who spent two years with Skiles in Phoenix. The Suns' demise in 2001-02 coincided with the trade that sent Kidd to New Jersey for Stephon Marbury.

"Now, if I had people every day, my assistants and so forth, tell me, 'Hey man, you're getting near the edge. You've got to knock it back a few notches,' then I would put some credence into it," Skiles added. "But I haven't and I don't. (The criticism) doesn't bother me hardly at all anymore."

There are a couple of obvious rules in play here: One is that few NBA players truly appreciate their coach, and the other is when things are going badly, everyone is going to develop negative feelings.

But Skiles is a demanding coach, and it's possible he's begun to wear on the players. There is obviously a reason why a successful coach like Larry Brown never stayed with one team for very long.

Asked directly whether the Bulls are tuning out Skiles, guard Ben Gordon calmly provided a blanket denial.

"I guess it happens at this level," Gordon said. "But I don't think, with this team, we've experienced it. Guys are just frustrated with losing. When you're losing, nobody's happy and nobody wants to deal with it.

"The first couple of years, (Skiles) was definitely on guys because we were young, we kind of needed that. Now, he gives us a lot of freedom and we've just got to go out there. With freedom comes a lot of responsibility. So we've got to go out there and do our part. So I don't think he's what most people conceive."

The true answer will be found on the court. If the Bulls rebound from their slow start the same way they have the previous three seasons under Skiles, this issue will quickly evaporate.

If the Bulls are 6-20 a few weeks from now, the idea that the players need to hear a difference voice will gain momentum.

Skiles took some exception to a recent column on ESPN.com that contended the Bulls have quit on their coach, using unnamed players from other teams as sources.

"I only had a problem with one thing, because he has a right to his opinion. That was the 'relentlessly riding' term that he used," Skiles said. "Too many people have seen us practice, too many people have seen me up during the games, too many people have seen me interact with my players to buy into that, I think.

"We've started terribly in each year and somehow we've righted the ship. And you don't do that by riding people. You do that by coaching them, of course, but being supportive of them and believing in them. That's how you get it done. To me, it's just a lazy guy pulling up something from the past to validate a point he wants to make. I don't know what else it is."

The overwhelming reason for the Bulls' poor start this season has been awful shooting. They currently rank last in the NBA in points per game, field-goal percentage and 3-point percentage.

The defense has been decent, better than it was during last season's sluggish start, which is an indication the Bulls are still giving a strong effort.

"Anytime you're in a stretch where we're in right now where we're not playing as well as we would like to play, nothing seems to be working," center Ben Wallace said. "We're here, we understand it and we go out and try to do it, but it's not working right now."

Added Gordon, "Everybody here already knows what (Skiles) wants. We all know what we're supposed to do and how we're going to win games. I don't think anybody's tuning him out. I think that's just speculation."

There have been at least three instances this season where Skiles was critical toward a player in the media. He suggested rookie Joakim Noah should let the veterans speak for the team, questioned how Luol Deng could determine the severity of his back injury before consulting a doctor, and tore into Tyrus Thomas for not running the floor hard.

Skiles later apologized to Thomas for being too harsh and insisted his comments about Noah were in jest.

"(The coaches) have been more consistent than any other year I can remember," Gordon said. "That's a good sign. Players need to see that people aren't around here panicking and that they know what we're capable of. … I think everybody realizes that we just have to stick with the things we've been doing in the past that have given us success and we'll be fine."