Aaron Brooks: Coach Helped Improve My Confidence

From the moment (Aaron) Brooks signed with the Bulls over the summer, (Bulls coach Tom) Thibodeau has raved about the diminutive point guard. He loves Brooks’ toughness, he loves his ability to create offensively, he just loves his game. Over the course of just a few short months, the pair has formed a bond that will be hard to break over the course of the season. That bond was evident again on Saturday night as Brooks scored 26 points, 19 in the fourth quarter, in the Bulls’ 106-101 loss to the Boston Celtics.

“I came in here lacking confidence,” Brooks admitted. “Even when I doubted myself, he was there to tell me, ‘You know what? I’ve watched you play, you’ve done well’ and just to keep working hard. It’s been a breath of fresh air for me.”

“I love the guy because he’s tough as nails,” Thibodeau said recently. “You can start him, you can play him big minutes, you can play him in the fourth quarter, he’s going to battle people and he’s going to make the right play. He’s got a high IQ. When he gets into the paint he knows where everyone is and he knows what everyone can do. And he leads guys into their strengths, covers up their weaknesses, he’s just tough. He’s a very good player, so I’m very pleased with what he’s done.”

via Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago