Coaches reunion has been a boon to Bulls
There are plenty of explanations for the Bulls' surprising rise this season, including:
&bul; An MVP-caliber performance by Derrick Rose.
&bul; The addition of a low-post scorer in Carlos Boozer.
&bul; Better depth and 3-point shooting.
One that's not as obvious is a powerful coaching partnership that has been simmering for 15 years.
Tom Thibodeau and Ron Adams have been the best of friends for almost two decades, but it was mostly a long-distance relationship. Until this season, they hadn't worked together since 1995-96 when both were assistants for the Philadelphia 76ers.
“We talked probably three times a week,” Thibodeau said. “We've shared ideas with each other. If we weren't playing, I'd watch his team play. He'd watch our team play.”
Thibodeau and Adams first joined forces on Jerry Tarkanian's staff in San Antonio. The longtime UNLV coach left that job just 20 games into the season and was replaced by John Lucas. Thibodeau and Adams followed Lucas to Philadelphia two years later.
“They are Batman and Robin,” Lucas said from his home in Houston. “If one of them coughs, the other sneezes.”
Lucas admitted he didn't know anything about his two assistants when he took on the Spurs job. He got a quick introduction, though, after asking each of his coaches to write a report on the state of the team.
“Tom wrote me 50 pages,” Lucas said with a laugh. “He had detailed analysis on every player. After working with them for a few weeks, I just turned them loose to do their own work.”
One thing Thibodeau and Adams have in common is an undistinguished playing career. Thibodeau played college basketball at Salem (Mass.) State, while Adams attended a school called Fresno Pacific.
Neither has been a head coach very long. Before taking over the Bulls, Thibodeau's only head job was one season at his alma mater. Adams logged four seasons as head coach at Fresno State from 1986-90.
But while Thibodeau's star began to rise in recent years based on his work with Doc Rivers in Boston and Jeff Van Gundy in Houston, Adams remained largely anonymous.
“He's a big-time secret weapon,” Lucas said of Adams. “Ron is a stabilizer to any coaching staff. He has a calming effect on your staff.”
After leaving the Sixers, Adams worked with George Karl in Milwaukee, then joined the Bulls under Bill Cartwright and stayed for the successful Scott Skiles era. Before returning to the Bulls, Adams helped NBA coach of the year Scott Brooks steer Oklahoma City from 23 to 50 wins.
“To me, he's one of the top five coaches in this league — head, assistant, it doesn't matter,” Thibodeau said of Adams. “He's a great coach. He's a great teacher. He's a great communicator. I also think he's a great motivator. He had all the things I was looking for in an assistant and he's done a great job for us.”
So why did Thibodeau and Adams hit it off so well? Those who know both coaches note that they're articulate teachers with a talent for communicating complicated strategies. Both also share a passion for getting on the court and working with players individually.
Neither Thibodeau nor Adams puts a barrier between themselves and the players. They're willing to joke in the locker room after practice and will rip each other frequently.
Luol Deng's first response when asked about the Thibodeau-Adams friendship was essentially, “That explains a lot.”
“I was really surprised when they first got here,” Deng said. “I didn't know they worked together. They get along really well. One will go at the other jokingly sometimes. It's kind of funny.
“They're very similar. Ron is always holding you accountable for everything. There are no little mistakes. Thibs is the same way. That's the one thing that's the same about them: They really expect a lot out of you.”
When Adams first interviewed for a job with the Bulls, Cartwright was sold right away because he liked that Adams was well-rounded. He could discuss politics or world events as easily as scouting reports.
Thibodeau, not so much, but that doesn't mean he lives in a basketball vacuum.
Another area where the two coaches differ is Adams eventually married and started a family. Thibodeau hasn't gotten beyond the dating stage, but swears Adams' wife Leah doesn't try to set him up with new prospects.
“She gave up on that a long time ago,” Thibodeau joked.