Krause Is Building a Winner : Big Factor in Climb of Bulls Was Hiring Collins to Coach

Every time Jerry Krause makes one of his unconventional moves, he says he knows his colleagues are thinking “What’s the fat little nut done now?”

But Krause, a former sportswriter and scout, is doing what he has always wanted--running the Chicago Bulls as owner Jerry Reinsdorf’s chief of basketball operations. And quite successfully, as a matter of fact--despite criticism from some quarters.

Twelve years ago, he held the same job when the late Arthur Wirtz owned the franchise. But that lasted only five months.

Krause challenged Wirtz and part-owner Jonathan Kovler over the draft. They wanted the popular Scott May of Indiana. Krause wanted Robert Parish. Krause was overruled, then fired.

“I’ll tell you,” said Krause. “I walked out with my tail between my legs. It was something I had wanted to do all my life and, suddenly, it was over.”

But Krause recovered rapidly. He went back to scouting in basketball and baseball. He worked for such power-wielding moguls as Jack Kent Cooke of the Los Angeles Lakers, Charlie Finley of the Oakland Athletics and Bill Veeck of the Chicago White Sox.

When Veeck sold the White Sox to Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn in 1981, Krause remained as special assignment scout and got to know Reinsdorf well.

And in 1985 after Reinsdorf bought the Bulls, he hired Krause as chief of basketball operations.

“I had some definite ideas about basketball . . . and his ideas coincided with mine,” said Reinsdorf. “He’s a very hard worker and that was important. Also, I knew I was getting a guy who is a great judge of talent.”

Krause says his boss “has never said no to anything.”

Reinsdorf “wants to be informed of any moves before it gets to the papers and before the draft we get together and he asks me what I want to do.”

One of Krause’s main moves has been hiring Doug Collins as head coach two years ago.

“That was a big factor in our success,” said Krause. “A lot of people laughed when we hired Collins and I know they were saying ‘What’s the fat little nut done now?’ But that rolls off. I know I ain’t beautiful and as long as my wife thinks I’m pretty, that’s all that counts.”

Krause, 48, does have his detractors--those who say he isn’t willing to spend and that he is inactive in trades.

He took some heat after the recent NBA trading deadline, when Phoenix put James Edwards and Larry Nance on the block.

Bulls superstar Michael Jordan says the team missed a good opportunity.

“We need a top-flight center in the worst way. We had a chance to get James Edwards but Mr. Krause said he did not want to give away a top draft choice.”

Krause says there wasn’t time to work the deal with Edwards because of the salary cap and, to get Nance, “we would have to mortgage our future.”

Collins backs Krause on the matter.

“I know Krause has to get a player who can be tough in the middle, and with three first round picks, I think we can find someone who can work into our system,” Collins said.

And the Bulls aren’t doing badly. They won 40 games last season and now are 12 games over .500, a pace that, if maintained, would give them 52 victories for the season.

“We are respectable, a threat to win any night--and we are the least experienced team in the league,” said Krause. “I want to build the organization in a special way. I want people to say he was a builder and he built winners in his home town.”

So far, so good, as far as Reinsdorf is concerned.

“To date, we’ve made a lot of progress,” said Reinsdorf, about a team that is playing to capacity crowds at home and is one of the better road attractions in the NBA.

“He’s taken a bad team to the middle of the pack. In a couple of years, hopefully, who knows?” said Reinsdorf, obviously thinking of a championship.