Paxson can't afford to miss again

Things have indeed changed for Doug Collins in the 19 years since he last coached here.

If nothing else, he's become a much stronger negotiator.

The leak of his imminent hiring in Chicago, whether by Collins' camp, the Bulls, or UFOs, for all it matters, puts Collins in a very strong position.

Whether or not you believe Collins to be a positive, can you imagine where GM John Paxson would be -- from a public perception standpoint -- if negotiations fail, and he falls short yet again?

In the last year, Paxson has swung at and missed Kevin Garnett, Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant.

And what do they all have in common?

Only the NBA Finals.

You can watch them play for the next couple weeks on the NBA's biggest stage, with the league returning to some classic '80s rivalries, pitting the Celtics first against Detroit, and now against the Lakers.

These are the same NBA Finals that so many experts picked the Bulls to participate in before the 2007-08 season began -- before it went so bad so fast.

Hard to imagine, isn't it? The Bulls of a year ago were coming off a sweep of Miami, and a Detroit series in which they appeared marginally competitive.

At the same time, the Celts finished dead last in the East, 25 games -- yes, 25 games -- behind the Bulls.

Meanwhile, the Lakers were barely .500 and Bryant wanted out of L.A.

But Boston went out and got Garnett and Ray Allen to go with Paul Pierce, and the Lakers made a bold in-season move for Gasol.

They're all going to the Finals, while the Bulls, who did absolutely nothing last summer to improve the club, had one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history.

Making matters much worse, Paxson missed out on his top coaching choice, Mike D'Antoni, who was also the players' choice.

But as Paxson deliberated, D'Antoni departed for New York, choosing a storied franchise and the lure of Broadway lights over waiting to see if the Bulls might jump in with both feet, as opposed to dangling a toe in the water.

And, now, it's on to Collins, who has Paxson backed into a very uncomfortable corner.

The matter of Collins becoming coach here is already a certainty in the minds of Chicagoans, and ex-players are coming out of the woodwork to praise their ex-coach.

Even former adversaries like Horace Grant and Scottie Pippen, who openly despised Collins and played a large role in the Bulls' decision to dump Collins in 1989, are now singing a different tune.

They must want spots on the coaching staff because they've been seen on national TV and heard on satellite radio praising Collins, revising history, doing complete 180s, and, perhaps, politicking for employment.

Go figure.

But the Bulls and Collins insist it's not a done deal, and that there is work to be done before an announcement can be formulated.

They must negotiate length of contract and money, discuss the authority in hiring assistant coaches, and perhaps even determine who will be the heir apparent.

None of those are small issues or simple to agree upon, but Collins' leverage is in knowing Paxson can't be viewed as having overshot his target again.

For that reason, it's hard to imagine Paxson allowing it to happen.

Again.