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The Bulls are Paying the Price of Their Avoidable Mistakes

By Michael Whitlow

Dec 6, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Rajon Rondo (9) during warmups prior to the game against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 6, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Rajon Rondo (9) during warmups prior to the game against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Chicago Bulls reside just a half-game out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. You wouldn’t be able to tell with how dramatic their season has become as of late.

There was probably one team other than the Ohio State Buckeyes that had a worst end to 2016 and entry into 2017: the Chicago Bulls.

It wasn’t just that the Bulls lost their fifth game in the last seven against the Milwaukee Bucks (who they’re currently 0-3 against this season).

No, their issues stem from off-the-court matters involving second-year head coach Fred Hoiberg and Rajon Rondo, arguably the most confusing free agent signing of this past summer.

This past Friday, ESPN NBA insider Marc Stein wrote a piece on Hoiberg’s job security, and according to his sources, things potentially could end sooner rather than later for the former Bulls guard-turned-head coach.

"Yet sources told ESPN.com this week that the Bulls have been increasingly assessing the coaching fit as well, sparked by an ongoing dip in the team’s level of play and consistency that began with an unraveling at home on Dec. 13 from 21 points up against the Minnesota Timberwolves and a certain Tom Thibodeau."

However, there is a tiny detail that could prevent Hoiberg’s time in Chicago coming to a close.

"The greatest source of insulation that has protected Hoiberg to this point, sources say, is the fact that making a change now would require the Bulls to swallow significant guaranteed money on his five-year contract valued in the $25 million range."

As for Rondo, his reckoning has been approaching since he signed a partly-guaranteed two-year deal with the Bulls this past summer. Rondo’s game has been on the decline since his departure from Boston a few seasons and it hasn’t gotten any better during his short time in Chicago.

Rondo was benched for the entire second half Friday against the Indiana Pacers after just 11 minutes of action in the first half and then was given a DNP-CD for Saturday’s defeat to the Bucks.

After the game, Rondo spent a good amount of time with the media, followed by a face-to-face meeting with the front office duo of Gar Forman and John Paxson.

Paxson, whose comments rolled some eyes in an appearance on 670 The Score in Chicago recently, addressed the fact that the Bulls really aren’t that “younger and more athletic” like Forman preached the Bulls were throughout the summer months.

“The area we really do need to improve is with our athleticism. That’s been evident this year as well,” Paxson said. “We’ve got some vets that know how to play, can score, but you know when you look around the league and how the game is now, that’s an area we have to address.”

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    • Despite the intrigue of having two former All-Star players and NBA champions, it was pretty clear to see that the Bulls weren’t getting younger or more athletic with two 30-year-old free agent signings that were past their primes in Rondo and Dwyane Wade.

    The past two summers have been befuddling for the Bulls. Tom Thibodeau’s gone and running with a new pack of wolves. Hoiberg was brought from the college ranks to lighten the load for the core and provide a fresh voice to a team that felt close to a title.

    Instead, Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah are gone, the Bulls’ stock has continued to decline, and it’s been clear over the 116 games Hoiberg has been at the helm, his voice isn’t always heard.

    The issues surrounding the Bulls were brought on by no one but themselves.

    The never-ending tension between Forman, Paxson and Thibodeau led to Hoiberg’s arrival. No one but the Bulls made the choice to put Rajon Rondo atop their free agent want list. Bringing in a 34-year-old guard that can’t handle the grind of an 82-game season like he used to isn’t in the recipe of getting “younger and more athletic”.

    And now, the Bulls reside in the abyss that is averageness of the NBA. Unless the Bulls decide to stroll down the path of their fellow Chicago teams and start completely anew, this “we’re now finding out that we’re not really that young or athletic” roster isn’t going to work.

    The path to starting fresh would involve any and/or all matters including: finding a suitor that would take Rondo’s services or waving him and eating the contract if he’s out of the rotation permanently, trading Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson (or letting Gibson walk in free agency this summer) for future assets (preferably draft picks for this year’s loaded draft class) to fit Hoiberg’s style if they decide to keep him on his deal.

    Hoiberg may not rank among the Popovichs, Stevens, Budenholzers and Kerrs of the world, but when you’re given this personnel to work with, how successful are you really going to be?

    Next: NoteaBulls: What to watch for with the Bulls entering 2017

    There is an opt-out for the Bulls to start over, similarly to Rondo and Wade’s deals that aren’t guaranteed next season.

    The question is, will they take it?

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