Minnesota Timberwolves: Tom Thibodeau is still trying to re-create the Bulls

Since Tom Thibodeau took over the reigns, he’s orchestrated a few moves that make the Minnesota Timberwolves look more like the Timber-Bulls. But … why?

It would be impossible to argue that the addition of Jimmy Butler didn’t greatly help the Timberwolves last season.

Personally, I had concern when we traded away Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn that the Wolves were losing their identity as a team, trading away some young players full of potential for a player, albeit a great one, that Tom Thibodeau had experience coaching in the past.

After Butler came along, fellow former Chicago Bull Taj Gibson joined, and later in the season Derrick Rose came to Minnesota, too.

Now, there are rumors that Thibodeau is chasing after one or both of Luol Deng or Joakim Noah — both former Bulls, of course — should either one of them be bought out of their contracts and be willing to sign a minimum deal to come to Minnesota.

It’s understandable that Thibodeau wants to coach players he’s familiar with and trusts based on their experience together. However, despite a relatively successful tenure in Chicago, Thibodeau and his Bulls didn’t quite live up to expectations or their potential, which ultimately led to his firing.

His final season in Chicago saw a strain in the relationship between Thibodeau and the front office, and after a loss in the conference semifinals, it was “goodbye, Thibs”. Clearly, at least some of those former Bulls stand by their old coach, as many have shown they’re keen to return to a team under his tutelage.

But why is Thibodeau so keen on recreating a team of those former days, if they never really lived up to their fullest potential?

Thibs’ first season in Chicago, and as an NBA head coach, was his greatest. He led the Bulls to a 62-20 record, good enough for first in the East, and a playoff berth that ended in a 4-1 series loss to Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. Thibodeau was named NBA Head Coach of the Year, and Derrick Rose became the youngest MVP in the history of the league.

Players on this roster included Taj Gibson and John Lucas III, who played for the Timberwolves in Thibodeau’s first season and now serves as a player development coach for the Wolves. Luol Deng and Joakhim Noah were also on the 2010-11 Bulls team, which is exactly why Thibs is keeping an eye on their contract status.

Unfortunately for Thibodeau, this was his only trip to the conference finals with the Bulls, with each subsequent season ending in either the first or second round.

The 2011-12 season was Jimmy Butler’s first in the league and with the Bulls, and all previously named players remained on the roster. This is, perhaps, where Thibodeau got a look at the fit of these players together, and perhaps gave him his first indication that they could work as a group.

Kyle Korver was also on the Bulls back in those days, and with the Timberwolves in need of shooting, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear if Thibodeau was interested in trading for him. He’s already one year through his three-year, $22 million contract in Cleveland, and with LeBron James out of the picture, they may be looking to shed some assets to spend the season tanking.

The big question remains: if the Bulls couldn’t win back in those days, why is Thibodeau so confident they can now? Perhaps he can see the pieces fitting together when combined with the Timberwolves current roster that he didn’t have back in the day, such as Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, or maybe he wants a chance to see if he could push that team further with more coaching experience.

Either way, Thibodeau has the reigns for now. We can either trust his judgement, or, as many Wolves fans have done on Twitter, beg for his removal. I, for one, am choosing to trust him until he steers us wrong.

Next: Timberwolves Rumour - Thibs Targetting Amir Johnson

Free agency has just begun, but we should know shortly if Thibodeau plans on bringing more of his former Chicago Bulls players to Minnesota.