No Second Guessing for Del Negro

"The players didn't execute"

John Paxson hung out in the Bulls trainers' room while Vinny Del Negro spent nearly ten minutes answering questions about the future of the General manager who hired him, and whether the rookie coach himself felt any remorse for causing Pax to stress out.  Here is an excerpt of the questions he faced and his answers.   Del Negro tried to lighten the mood of the weekend's commotion over Paxson's imminent retirement by saying he found it amusing.  "It comes with the territory" he added.   Del Negro should know working in Phoenix front office with player personnel before taking on his first ever coaching job.  But he wouldn't budge on being second guessed for his play calling or personnel moves, that may have caused Paxson to wig out.

WMAQ-TV Sports reporter Peggy Kusinski asked him point blank, while Del Negro held firm, "it's all part of the growing pains of a young team".

In Thursday's final seconds, Del Negro's Bulls had the lead before allowing an easy inbounds pick and roll for the go ahead basket.  They then failed on a final possession, which included a personnel grouping that left star guard Derrick Rose on the bench.

Kusinski:   Do you second guess yourself with the final play against Miami?
Del Negro:  I don't second guess myself because it's easy to be a Monday Morning quarterback.  We didn't execute and that's frustrating because we work on that lots and lots in practice... we didn't execute and that's the bottom line.

Kusinski:  Outside of execution, did you put the team in the best position to win? 
Del Negro:  We had an opportunity to win and that's what you want to do.  We've had a lot of opportunities to win at the end.  We have handled some of them well, haven't handled some of them well.  And that goes with growing pains... Just keep working that's what I do.  I just keep my head down, keep my head and keep moving forward and just keep trying to do the best job I can and try to help this team.

As for not having Rose in the game for the final shot,  Del Negro defended the decision saying Kirk Hinrich brought the team back into the game.  And again refused to second guess himself.

He may not have to, someone else may just do it for him.

We'd ask Paxson himself, but he was busy getting a remedy for what ails him in the trainer's room.  Hopefully he found it in Josh Bosh!

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