And yet, what ought to be standard operating procedure for all team architects when a foreman is deemed, in mid-project, to have failed with the materials on hand will not apply to Paxson. After praising Skiles to reporters for how he got "people accountable here for the right way to play'' -- something the Bulls absolutely were not in dropping 16 of their first 25 games -- Paxson was asked if he ever would take over as coach. "That will never happen,'' he said.

Too bad for justice and fair play, along with vocal fans at United Center who might want to razz Paxson about the "Bah, Hum-Bulls'' way he axed Skiles on Christmas Eve. Still, it could be a good thing for Boylan, who has prepared for this moment his whole life. Or at least as much as anyone ever prepares to be the "interim head coach'' of an audaciously underperforming team.

Boylan could prove to be one of those overnight successes who has been 30 years in the making. He has the pedigree and the resume to make this work, and those who see him simply as Skiles' caddy -- "Scott's right-hand man,'' Bulls guard Chris Duhon called him -- for their stints together in Phoenix and Chicago and their Michigan State connection (Skiles starred there, Boylan assisted Jud Heathcote there after Skiles left) don't know enough about him.

Boylan also has worked in the NBA for the Cavaliers, the Grizzlies and the Hawks. He paid dues in the CBA, with Heathcote and as top man at the University of New Hampshire. From 1982-86, Boylan played and coached for the Vevey club in Switzerland. And before that, he was the brash, skinny kid with the stringy hair who helped Marquette win its NCAA championship in 1977.

Disclosure: Boylan and I graduated the same year from Marquette, which means he is old enough to have been a fourth-round draft pick of the Buffalo Braves (known today as the Clippers) and I'm old enough, well, to have started writing about basketball when "word processing'' meant an inky ribbon and a "ding!'' at the end of each typed line. But this isn't an alumni network in action -- it's a reference from way back when.

Remember what Al McGuire said, about how "a team should be an extension of a coach's personality. My teams are arrogant and obnoxious''? Boylan was the point guard who embodied that for the Warriors, the McGuire-on-the-floor who directed traffic and bridged the gaps between the abrasive coach in his swan-song season and that mix of New York, Chicago and Wisconsin kids. Bo Ellis was from Chicago, Butch Lee grew up in the Bronx, Bernard Toone came from Yonkers and still it was Boylan, from Jersey City and St. Mary's High, who was that team's toughest player.

Skiles was a hard-nosed point guard, too, a background and a personality that didn't save his job. But for Boylan, this is his first, best and maybe only chance to coach an NBA team the way he sees fit in an audition of 56 games (barring another impulsive Paxson move). So many of the expectations already have been wrung out of the Bulls for 2007-08, so many hopes dashed from what was supposed to have been a front-running season, that Boylan has a real shot, with playoff talent still in the house, to make this a win-win situation.

If Chicago does, Boylan does too.

The Returns Department

Colleague Jack McCallum, a few days ago, provided a gift list for NBA teams as Christmas approached. Another part of the holiday, though, is taking back gifts that, for one reason or another, were really bad ideas. Here are a few NBA versions for that Dec. 26 tradition:

The Lump of Coal Award: Miami. It didn't take Heat coach Pat Riley or center Shaquille O'Neal long to get fed up with Smush Parker's 31.5 percent accuracy, his shot selection or his overall production. He hasn't played since Nov. 24.

The 'Tis Better to Give Than to Receive Award: Portland. Zach Randolph in New York is doing what he always has done, putting up solid numbers for a losing team. But Portland knew he would when it went the addition-by-subtraction route, shedding a potential negative influence on its youngsters and freeing up frontcourt minutes. Last we checked, the Blazers haven't suffered.

The Quality Over Quantity Award: Boston. What would you rather have, a Yao Ming-sized stocking stuffed with five former Celtics and a pair of future first-round picks or one neatly wrapped package under the tree named Kevin Garnett?

The We Need This in Another Size Award: Charlotte. For the money the Bobcats are paying Jason Richardson -- over $12 million in each of the next three seasons -- he ought to stand at least 7 feet tall rather than 6-6. That wouldn't make his 41.5 percent shooting any more palatable since the draft day trade with Golden State, but it might explain his 58.5 percent rate from the foul line and his 1.3 rate of assists to turnovers.

The Re-Gifting Award: Minnesota. The Wolves sent Mike James and Justin Reed to Houston to acquire Juwan Howard over the summer, only to turn around and hand Howard a $10 million buyout before he ever played a game for them. Turns out the big guy didn't want to be part of the de-KG-ed team. So now he's in Dallas, where he hasn't played more than nine minutes or grabbed more than two rebounds in a month.

The Pre-Gifting Award: Los Angeles Lakers. We've all done it, gone shopping for a family member or friend only to realize that, we like the item so much, we decide to keep it for ourselves. That's how the Lakers have to feel about Bryant and their fortitude in withstanding the offseason trade-demand hysteria.

Mailbag Briefing

In writing about NBA players whose careers were cut short by injuries, accidents or other mishaps, we generally tried to stay away from those who had an active hand in their basketball demise. So while we included Len Bias, mostly for the shock and impact of his drug-related death, we steered away from the likes of Richard Dumas, Lloyd Daniels, Chris Washburn, J.R. Rider, Vin Baker and even the great David Thompson. But as astute readers noted, we neglected enough other players who fit this category -- including Brad Daugherty, Andrew Toney, Geoff Petrie and the all-time poster guy, Maurice Stokes -- that we'll do a sequel column next week.

Thanks, too, to those who pointed out that Manu Ginobili has helped San Antonio win three of its four NBA championships, correcting some teaser copy on our site (not in the column). I knew that all along, so I'm blaming a hacker for that one. Naughty, not nice.

Steve Aschburner covered the Minnesota Timberwolves and the NBA for 13 seasons for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. He has served as president or vice president of the Professional Basketball Writers Association since 2005.