The overwhelming belief is that the Bulls will fire coach Vinny Del Negro once they are eliminated from the postseason.

"He's a dead man walking," one Eastern Conference executive told ESPN. "He won't be back."

Chris Broussard of ESPN The Magazine points out that Del Negro has gotten Chicago to the postseason, where they have been competitive, in back-to-back seasons. Meanwhile, Toronto's Jay Triano and Indiana's Jim O'Brien haven't accomplished nearly as much but remain safe.

"Looking at the numbers, I'd give him an above-average grade," another Eastern Conference executive said. "But that doesn't always tell the story."

Del Negro's downfall will have more to do with personality and vision than the team's win/loss record or playoff success.

"Vinny's not aligned well with the organization," an executive said.

"His philosophy and his agenda is not the same as the organization's. The minutes situation with Noah was a micro-version of that, where he said, 'The organization made it clear this is how we do it, but I'm going to do it my way.' "