Welcome to the Friday edition of The Cooler, where it’s better to be right than popular. Let’s get to it:
*Tom Thibodeau’s Bulls teams had a well-earned reputation for defensive excellence. They finished first in defensive efficiency (points allowed per 100 possessions) in Thibodeau’s first two seasons as head coach and rode that strength to overall success.
Thibodeau last coached the Bulls in the 2014-15 season. After a year off, he took over as president and head coach of the Wolves in 2016-17. The assumption was that defense would be the Wolves’ trademark strength under Thibodeau.
Instead, the Timberwolves ranked No.