What’s going on in Chicago?
Sorting out the mess that is the Chicago Bulls franchise
There has been much controversy this week in Chicago. Guards Dwayne Wade and Jimmy Butler publicly lashed out at their franchise and teammates this weak after the team fell below .500. After acquiring future Hall Of Famer Dwayne Wade and well-known fire cracker Rajon Rondo this offseason, the Bulls appeared set for a promising season. Finally Butler would have help on the court and Wade would triumphantly return to his hometown. Not exactly.
Currently, the Bulls sit on the 8th seed with a pathetic 23–24 losing record. They haven’t been able to close out games, defend opponents, or score when they’ve needed to.
Earlier this week, Wade vented his his frustration with the team, lamenting the lack of effort on the court. Butler chimed in later, backing up Wade. He claimed that the team doesn’t really care about the game. Both players seemed to be indirectly throwing shade at Rondo, a player with a history of quitting on his teammates and playing below his talent level.
Rondo immediately responded on his Instagram account lashing out about the Bulls and their lack of leadership. He compared the Bulls veterans and leaders to his leaders, or “vets” as he called them, when he was with the Boston Celtics (Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, the same Kevin Garnett who, last night on TNT, seemed disappointed and confused by Rondo’s decision to publicly call out his teammates) and pointed out the vast differences. In Boston, Rondo claimed, the veterans never went to the media. If they had a problem with you or your performance, they’d immediately approach you and address it. To your face, not through a microphone or reporter’s iPhone. But this controversy isn’t the first time a problem has arisen when Rondo has joined a new team, and Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade are both respected throughout the league for their ability to stick it out through various disappointmentsWhich leads you to ask: isn’t it more likely that Rondo is the problem?
This isn’t the first time Rondo has sparked some controversy on his team. When he was in Boston, he complained that the “Big 3” should expand to the “Big 4” because he was just as important as everyone else. Later, when he went to Dallas, he and coach Rick Carlisle did not get along at all, and they seemed to be new issues emerging in Dallas every day when he was a member of the Mavericks. Things didn’t get any better in Sacramento, where he played for one season after his one year stint in Dallas. After jumping to two different cities in two years, Rondo finally wanted to settle in Chicago. The Bulls knew they were getting a hotheaded troublemaker in Rondo when they signed him for 2 years in the offseason, but ultimately made the ruling that Wade and Butler could keep him in line long enough to achieve some success. Along with Wade, Rondo brought along a championship ring and playoff experience. In 2008, Rondo won the NBA Finals with the Celtics and he has reached the playoffs 7 times during his 11 year career. Wade himself has won 3 finals and is no stranger to deep playoff runs. Both knows what it takes to win and win big. Clearly though, something went awry.
Guard Jimmy Butler is playing in his 5th season in the NBA. Already in his young career he has been named an All Star starter and All-Defensive Second Team 3 times, and in 2015 he won the Most Improved Player of the Year Award. Just like Rondo and Wade, Butler has spent a majority of his career in the playoffs (reaching in 4/5 seasons). However, unlike the other two, Butler has never won a ring. Also unlike Wade, Butler is not used to 1) Being the best player on the court while 2) having to share the ball. Last season, Butler broke out with career highs in points, assists, rebounds and assists. He was clearly the Bulls’ best player with Derek Rose being a non-factor and Joakim Noah fading away. Standing in the spotlight, he flourished in this role, carrying the Bulls to the 3rd seed and a 50–32 record. However, with the new acquisitions of famed Dwayne Wade and Rajon Rondo, Butler was now asked to share the ball and the spotlight. Butler has been known to whine and complain. Last season there were reports from Butler’s teammates that he was a “diva” and wouldn’t take practices seriously. Accusations that he quickly denied. So maybe the problem is more complex than just Rondo being Rondo again.
So, what’s the problem in Chicago? Is it Rondo’s inability to play quietly? Wade finally speaking out? Or Jimmy Butler’s spoiled mindset that he now has to share his spotlight? Or maybe it’s just the team’s fault for assuming that these three stars would be able to mesh seamlessly in a single season.
