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Full Press Conference: Bulls introduce Tiago Splitter as head coach
It's a new day on Madison Street. The Bulls introduced Tiago Splitter as the franchise's next head coach, succeeding Billy Donovan.
It's a new era for the Chicago Bulls.
The franchise's two new faces are now in place: Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Bryson Graham and head coach Tiago Splitter.
"We are at the ground floor, and when you have someone that has a vision that aligns with yours, that knows how you want to play and how to build a program, we couldn't be more excited." Graham said on Wednesday.
But, there's no guarantee it'll work.
Here's a look at why the Graham-Splitter era might not work, and a look at the multiple reasons why it can for the Chicago Bulls.
Why it might not work
Splitter moved mountains in Portland. No one expected the Trail Blazers to rally from their head coach getting arrested to making the NBA Playoffs.
Splitter was a big part of that season. The players said so in their exit interviews. But, Portland had a thorough roster of players.
They had young talents who are the cornerstones of the franchise, like Deni Avdija, Scoot Henderson and Donovan Clingan. Avdija was an NBA All-Star, Henderson flashed late in the year when he returned from a torn hamstring and Clingan led the NBA with 4.5 offensive rebounds per game. Even 22- year-old Shaedon Sharpe averaged 20.8 points per game.
Not to mention, Portland balanced the young talent with two-time NBA champion Jrue Holiday, veteran scorer Jerami Grant and two-time All-NBA Defensive Team honoree Matisse Thybulle.
Portland had a balanced roster. The Bulls have the opposite.
Graham has to piece together a roster that Splitter can work his similar magic with. Right now, the players who have the best chance of sticking around with the Bulls next year are Matas Buzelis, Noa Essengue and Josh Giddey.
Jalen Smith, Isaac Okoro and Patrick Williams are also under contract, but could be moved if the Bulls want more flexibility. This leaves a blank canvas that Graham has to find a foundation for and Splitter has to build with his player development skills.
That’s easier said than done.
Splitter was hired because of the vision he brought to the Bulls. This vision includes needing the right moves from the front office and the right development, plus getting the right players who will take that development.
With so many factors at play, there’s always a chance it doesn’t pan out.
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How Tiago Splitter plans to build Bulls back | Chicago Sports Tonight
Tina Nguyen goes 1-on-1 with new Bulls head coach Tiago Splitter, who was introduced to the media today at the Advocate Center. Splitter talks about what attracted him to the Bulls' job; he describes his coaching and player development philosophy and lays out his plan for helping to bring back the Bulls to being a successful organization.
Why it can work
Again, Splitter was hired because of his vision.
There’s a clear path in place of how he wants to build the team, and that has to be trusted. That’s one reason why it could work.
Splitter’s predecessor, Billy Donovan, overachieved with the roster he was given near the end. But, that roster was limited because of how the previous front office built the team.
What Splitter has this offseason and beyond is why his tenure could lead the Bulls to success. Those two assets are resources and patience.
Graham has the fourth and No. 15 overall picks to use in this draft, plus multiple second-round picks and ample amounts of cap room to sign players to his roster. Splitter can use those players to fit his vision.
"We want to be excellent on everything we do," Splitter said. "We're going to create the path that we want to develop these players. We got a great chance with the draft now to bring some young talent and make them the best player they can be."
Splitter will also have patience. Graham was clear in his introduction how the Bulls won’t be successful overnight. There’s work to do now, and in the future.
Splitter will also have Graham’s trust. The first year, and maybe more, of his coaching tenure in Chicago will likely have some bumps in the road.
Graham is committed to getting over those bumps with Splitter.
That trust, combined with the patience and resources Splitter will have, are multiple reasons to believe this will all work in Chicago. The pros outweigh the cons. It's been a while since the Bulls can say that about the future of their team.
"When you're going through a lot of hard times with a coach or whatever, as a player, as a front office staff, you got to be in a foxhole with someone that you trust," Graham said. "There's no one more that I want to be in that foxhole with."