Jeff Zillgitt

USA TODAY Sports

Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau demands grit from players but also has found scoring after losses

Also in NBA A to Z%2C new New York Knicks boss Phil Jackson has top candidate if he needs new coach

In point guard watch%2C Deron Williams explodes while Michael Carter-Williams puts up historic stats

They had Derrick Rose for 10 games because of injury and Luol Deng for 23 before a trade, and the Chicago Bulls are in the top four of the Eastern Conference.

Of course they are.

Playing with grit, determination, passion and hard work — the qualities on display from Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau — the Bulls are 40-31 and in position to have home-court advantage for an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

Of course they are.

"Championship teams that I've been around bring it every day," Thibodeau said after Monday's victory against the East-leading Indiana Pacers. "Whether it's a practice, a meeting, a walk-through, a film session — whatever it might be — you have to give everything you have. That gives you your best chance. Like anything else, it's about building the right habits."

In 2014, the Bulls are 28-13 (.682), better than the Pacers (27-15, .642) and Miami Heat (24-15, .615). And they have beaten quality opponents, too: the Phoenix Suns (twice), San Antonio Spurs, Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Heat, Houston Rockets and Pacers.

If Chicago reaches the second round, it won't be an easy out. The Bulls beat the Nets as the No. 5 seed last season, and even though they lost in five games in the second round, they made the eventual champions Heat work to advance.

Nothing comes easy against Chicago, just the way Thibodeau likes it. With that said, nothing comes easy for the Bulls either. They work for everything they get.

Bulls center Joakim Noah said the Bulls are undervalued. Could be. But overachievers is also apt. Undervalued overachievers. Thibodeau gets the most out of his team. Remember early in the season, how out of place rookie Tony Snell looked on an NBA court? He's a contributor now on a bench that isn't very deep.

Six players (D.J. Augustin, Carlos Boozer, Taj Gibson, Jimmy Butler, Mike Dunleavy and Noah) average double figures in points, and Kirk Hinrich is at 9.0 points a game. The Bulls are not considered an offensive power, but they do just enough, rebounding from a tough December in which they struggled offensively and defensively.

Since the new year, the Bulls are scoring 101.2 points per 100 possessions. Again not great, but it's much better than the 96 points per 100 possessions in the first two months of the season.

Augustin, a free-agent signing after Toronto cut him loose, has provided stability and scoring at point guard. Chicago learned to play without Rose and Deng, and Noah developed into more of a playmaker. Pacers coach Frank Vogel called him a point-center.

Under Thibodeau, the Bulls continue to play tenacious defense. They are second in points allowed per 100 possessions behind the Pacers.

"When you get to the playoffs, the biggest thing is you are playing the same team over and over," Thibodeau said. "The mindset of being physically, mentally and emotionally ready is the biggest thing. The biggest adjustment in the playoffs is the edge, the intensity of the game. You only get intensity from great concentration and great effort. Building that edge is something you do throughout the course of the season."

Thibodeau has established himself as a coach who generates maximum production from his team.

There have been outstanding coaching jobs this season — Vogel, the Suns' Jeff Hornacek, Bobcats' Steve Clifford and Raptors' Dwane Casey in Toronto along with the usual suspects (the Spurs Gregg Popovich, the Los Angeles Clippers' Doc Rivers and Heat's Erik Spoelstra). It will be interesting to see where he finishes in coach of the year voting. Thibodeau won the award in 2010-11, was second in 2011-12 and was eighth last season.

The won-loss record without Rose and Deng isn't lost on opposing coaches

"I'm very impressed by how hard they play, especially in this building," Vogel said, standing on the United Center court. "I know how hard Coach Thibs gets these guys playing. ... It's a credit to their system."

SCORCHING SUNS: Hornacek earns respect

Speaking of coach of the year candidates and Hornacek, the Suns coach said he had paid attention to the other first-year NBA coaches this season: the Bobcats' Clifford, Nets' Jason Kidd, Atlanta Hawks' Mike Budenholzer, Philadelphia 76ers' Brett Brown, Boston Celtics' Brad Stevens, Memphis Grizzlies' Dave Joerger, Denver Nuggets' Brian Shaw and Sacramento Kings' Mike Malone.

"We hope all the coaches do well, except for when they're playing you," Hornacek said. "It was a crazy year in terms how many guys were hired as first-time coaches, and it's good to see a lot of guys do well. It's a very difficult job. ... Coaches band together as a group because the way they hire and fire coaches, you have to stay together."

At the beginning of the season, the Suns were one of the teams expected to be at the bottom of the standings and looking to the future. Hornacek dismissed that notion.

"There's been a lot of talk all year. 'When were the Phoenix Suns going to fade away?' " Hornacek said. "Our expectations as coaches were for them to play hard and play together. We didn't know how many games we would win. We won 25 last year, and we traded a lot of veteran guys. We didn't know what that was going to translate into. But we told the guys, if you do that, then you're going to win your fair share of games. These guys have probably exceeded expectations."

Phoenix hasn't faded and is in a tight playoff race with the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks for the final four playoff spots in the West.

Hornacek said he isn't watching the standings but admitted it might be difficult to avoid looking in the final 10 games of the regular season.

"We're just trying to win as many games as we can," he said.

PHIL'S CHOICES: Kerr front-runner for Knicks

In his short time as president of the New York Knicks, Phil Jackson has — except for brief meetings — kept his distance from players and the coaching staff as he learns the ins and outs of the Knicks and Madison Square Garden Company.

He is also searching for front-office personnel to help him navigate the world of agents, salary cap and player personnel, especially at the college and international level.

If indeed TNT analyst and former NBA guard Steve Kerr, who played for three of Jackson's championship Bulls teams, wants to coach, he is the front-runner, a person familiar with the situation told USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

But one other name to consider, if Kerr doesn't end up as coach: Derek Fisher, who could end up with the Knicks either as a coach or front-office executive.

OVERTIME ALL THE TIME: Nets' increased schedule

The Nets became just the third team in NBA history to play three consecutive overtime games, joining the Houston Rockets in 1999-2000 and the Rochester Royals in 1951-52.

All three teams were 1-2.

The Nets beat the Mavericks 107-104 Sunday, lost to the New Orleans Pelicans 109-104 Monday and lost to the Bobcats 116-111 Wednesday.

RIVALRY TALK: Coaches are not fans of it

Do rivalries exist in the NBA? Is Indiana-Miami a rivalry? Is Indiana-Chicago a rivalry? Los Angeles Clippers-Memphis?

"Rivalries are for the media to talk about," the Pacers' Vogel said. "It's not like players are saying it's a rivalry or it's not a rivalry coaches are saying it's a rivalry or not a rivalry. It's for you guys to decide."

Said Thibodeau, "I think you guys (reporters) are into the rivalries and all that stuff. … The focus has to be on what are the things that are necessary to win and put the necessary work and effort into that."

Thibodeau doesn't like putting more emphasis on one team than another.

"I think that's how you get into trouble," he said. "You want to establish a routine of how you prepare for everybody. … Each game in this league counts the same."

NET ON FIRE: D-Will finally shows his true form

Point guard watch, veteran edition:

Hmmm, a little of the old Deron Williams is starting to show up for the Nets. In the past 10 days, he's scored 28, 25, 23 and 29 points in six games and distributing the ball.

"I'm definitely feeling better and more confident every day," said Williams, who has battled ankle issues this season. "Now, I'm just trying to get that confidence to continue."

After a recent win against Charlotte, Williams said, "I tend to play well when my confidence is high — just got to keep it there. Keep attacking. Keep being aggressive. Guys are helping me. Paul (Pierce) has been telling me to be aggressive every game so I just got to continue to do that."

The Nets will need that confidence from Williams if they want to make an impact in the playoffs and not lose in the first round.

Hornacek, who saw a lot of Williams as a special assistant and close observer of the Jazz, said Williams had a comfort zone in Utah and is now discovering a different comfort zone with the Nets.

"He's still a great player," Hornacek said. "Maybe some of the injuries he had slowed him down a little bit. I was just watching the tape, and he made a move, flew it up the court and then did a crossover — typical Deron Williams that I remember. He hasn't lost much. He's a handful to deal with because of his size and his strength."

ROOKIE (OF THE) YEAR: Carter-Williams fills boxes

Point guard watch, rookie edition:

It's been a rough season for the Philadelphia 76ers, but rookie point guard Michael Carter-Williams leads all rookies in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and minutes played. He is on pace to become the third player to lead rookies in points, rebounding and assists and will join Oscar Robertson (1960-61) and Alvan Adams (1975-76) if he does it, according to the NBA.

He is also trying to become the sixth rookie to average at least 16 points, six assists and five rebounds. Robertson, Magic Johnson, Penny Hardaway, Steve Francis and Chris Paul.

Get Nerlens Noel on the court, and see what he can do. Add at least lottery pick from the 2014 draft. And the Sixers should have young players to establish a foundation.

UNION WOES: Considering reopening search for leader

The National Basketball Players Association remains without an executive director, and it's possible the union re-opens its search after narrowing the field to two finalists, a person familiar with the union's thinking told USA TODAY Sports. The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

At All-Star Weekend, NBPA president Chris Paul maintained there is no timeline to hire a new executive director. But starting another NBA season without an executive director would not put the executive committee, comprised of players, in the best light.

The NBPA has been criticized for its handling of the search publicly, first in a first-person story from one-time executive director candidate Danny Schayes and recently by prominent agent Jeff Schwartz.

"As a longtime and ardent supporter of the National Basketball Players Association, I am deeply troubled by the clandestine process to date in the search for the union's next executive director," Schwartz wrote on ESPN.com.

He continued, "The only way to repair the damage that has already been done, in my view, is to bring an immediate stop to the current process and then start the executive director search over from scratch with a much broader approach."

Paul responded on ESPN.com, "Working with our Acting Executive Director Ron Klempner, we've spent the past year reviewing and reforming the core policy infrastructure of our union, creating an organization that is strong, strategic, transparent and absolutely accountable to our players. …

"Speaking on behalf of our Executive Committee and player representatives, getting this right has been far more important than just getting it done. This decision will be important to every current player, to our players in the years to come and to the sport of basketball itself. I'm excited and confident about the outcome, as the result will produce the strongest and most-qualified NBPA Executive Director to lead us into a great future for the NBA and our fans."

Even if the union re-opened the search process, David White will remain a top candidate and a favorite to get the job. White is the national executive director of Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

NBA A to Z is USA TODAY Sports' weekly look around the league, written interchangeably by NBA insiders Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt. Ask them questions on Twitter at @sam_amick and @JeffZillgitt.