Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/12/16

It seems as though former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau‘s name is brought up in connection with virtually every new head coaching slot that becomes available. All the interest and speculation surrounding him is a testament to how Thibs’ coaching abilities are respected around the league, and the smart money is certainly on him returning to NBA sidelines sooner rather than later. Some “cursory contact” has reportedly taken place between the Timberwolves and Thibodeau, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, though the talks were not classified as serious. Thibodeau has apparently long wanted the Knicks coaching job, and while that currently appears unlikely to occur, he’s reportedly of interest to the Lakers and Nets as well. It should be noted that Los Angeles still has Byron Scott calling the shots, but his job security appears dubious at best for 2016/17.

There’s no denying that Thibodeau is a solid coach, but his style and system do have their detractors. Thibs was knocked for focusing too much on defense while in Chicago at the expense of the Bulls’ offense. He also had a tendency to overuse his veteran players, which progressively wore them down over the course of long NBA campaigns. Also of concern, especially for teams with youthful rosters, is Thibodeau’s reputation of being extremely hard on his players, which doesn’t always play well with today’s crop of stars. This would be of great concern in a spot like Minnesota, where a young team needs a coach who will nurture and develop that talent and challenge the players to become better.

This brings me to the topic for today: Which team in need of a head coach (or rumored to soon be in need of one) would Tom Thibodeau fit best with?

Do you think Thibs would be a good fit with the Wolves’ young roster, or should he look for a team that has more of a veteran presence given his past resistance to playing younger players when veterans were available to take those minutes? If you don’t think the Knicks, Wolves, Nets or Lakers would be the right match, tell us what post would be the ideal fit for Thibodeau. Take to the comments section to share your opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.

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