Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers: Five Takeaways from the Bulls Loss

Hoiberg sits Rondo

It didn’t take as many games as I expected, but after 10 first half minutes that amounted to zero points, one rebound, one assist, one turnover and three fouls, Fred Hoiberg finally benched Rajon Rondo for the entirety of the second half. Hoiberg opted instead for a combination of Michael Carter-Williams and Jerian Grant.

It was arguably the least questionable decision of Hoiberg’s tenure in Chicago.

We didn’t really need any more, but the evidence continues to pile on with regard to the Bulls being better without Rondo. The one positive about his game that you could point to – his passing – seems to be on its way out the door as well. He still has one made free throw through the entire month of December. 14 games played, and he’s made one more free throw than RJ Hunter.

He’s got a true shooting percentage (a percentage that factors in the importance of 3-pointers and free throws) of 41.2 percent, good for third worst in the NBA among players who have suited up in at least 25 games. The two players ahead of him? Lavoy Allen of the Pacers and Semaj Christon of the Thunder, neither of whom play more than 15 minutes a game.

Rondo’s defensive rating is a dismal 105.3, tied for second worst on team with Isaiah Canaan (who doesn’t play) and just barely in front of Bobby Portis (who also doesn’t play). Let’s hope Rondo starts to have more in common with those two.

If you want to get even more depressed, check out Stephen Noh’s article about Rondo on The Athletic (no subscription, required, but get one anyway if you can).