Bernstein: Bulls Making It Up As They Go
By Dan Bernstein--
CBSChicago.com senior columnist
(CBS) This is no longer Jimmy Butler's team, and it's certainly not Fred Hoiberg's. Not now.
General manager Gar Forman is, um ... doing things to the Bulls, in an apparent effort to throw off anyone trying to figure out whatever his plan is. The actions don't match the words and the pieces don't fit, but the Bulls press on in creating a new version each day of a different kind of non-contender.
At last year's trade deadline, Forman doubled down on his roster, expressing belief in the ability of the "core" to maximize its potential in a stretch run. After that commitment fizzled into the draft lottery, he traded Derrick Rose, noting that the championship window had obviously closed and citing a desire to get younger and more athletic. On draft night, the Bulls shopped the two-time All-Star Butler but ultimately settled for what Forman called "retooling" over a full rebuild.
Forman at times has now mentioned both cap flexibility and cost certainty as being important to them, even though they are countervailing concepts.
The Bulls drafted Denzel Valentine, a player with questions about his athleticism.
Forman then agreed to bring in 30-year-old point guard Rajon Rondo on a two-year deal, despite his history of clashing with coaches in Boston, Dallas and Sacramento, largely over play-calling responsibilities. Rondo will be tasked to finally run the vaunted Hoiberg system, one featuring side-to-side ball movement and uptempo read-and-react opportunities to find quick, open 3-point shots.
Now here's Dwyane Wade, who turns 35 in the middle of this season. It's a two-year deal for him, too, adding yet another isolation player who needs the ball in his hands to be effective. An offense predicated on 3-point shooting now has four projected starters with a career success rate from there of a combined 31 percent. Somebody is going to have to explain how this is supposed to work.
Butler is a 32.8 percent shooter from distance who has already told Hoiberg what he will and won't execute, making it clear he likes to possess the ball and call plays for himself. Rondo has made 29 percent of his threes and has been a ball-stopper to the point of coaches running him out of town. Wade is a 3-point specialist only in that he doesn't shoot them much anymore, because they only have gone in 28 percent of the time. He made a grand total of seven last year, in 2,258 minutes over 74 games.
Wade has made the "my turn" offensive possession something of a personal art form, too, often simply deciding enough time has elapsed without him taking a shot after an internal clock seems to inform him to hoist one up from wherever, heedless of score or situation.
So, younger or older? Cap-flexible or multi-annually committed to aging veterans? More athletic or less so? Married to all the explosive possibilities of your coach's offensive philosophy or content to watch three massive egos fight for the ball?
The nihilistic truth is that whatever the answers are at the moment probably don't matter.
Dan Bernstein is a co-host of 670 The Score's "Boers and Bernstein Show" in afternoon drive. You can follow him on Twitter @dan_bernstein and read more of his columns here.