What is currently happening with the Chicago Bulls is beyond embarrassing. A franchise that had the best player of all-time in Michael Jordan should not be this bad.
It all started off with the Bulls blowing a double-digit lead late in the game during last Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Hawks. Veteran players Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade then ripped apart their teammates.
They said that their young teammates “don’t care enough.” I do not agree with what they said – the main problem is that the other players on the team just are not as good.
Later on, their teammate, Rajon Rondo, posted a long message on Instagram that pretty much called out Wade and Butler for what they said. Rondo said in the post that his former teammates on the Boston Celtics, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, would never do that. He said they would handle it in-house.
However, Rondo has had a terrible year. He was a starter at the beginning of the season, but he has been benched and barely plays. Despite that, Rondo has kept a good attitude and has become close with many young players on the team. In fact, he has even gone to a few D-League games to support them.
Executive Gar Forman fined the three players for what they said. He gave the media a brief statement but did not take any questions. All three players involved took questions from the media.
Forman is a coward for that and he is the one Butler and Wade should be ripping on because he and fellow executive John Paxson stink. They fired a highly regarded coach, Tom Thibodeau, two years ago because they wanted a more offensive-minded coach as they did not get along with Thibodeau.
That’s fine. However, they literally did not interview anyone else except Fred Hoiberg, who is now the Bulls current coach and in the middle of this circus. The Chicago Bulls could get almost any coach they want but they talked to one guy only.
Hoiberg wants athletic players that can shoot. Paxson and Foreman signed Rondo and Wade last off-season. Neither of those guys is young or a good shooter. The executives love Hoiberg but do not give him players that fit his system. Hoiberg has not stood a chance in his brief two years in Chicago.
It also does not help that owner Jerry Reinsdorf does not care about winning enough and loves being mediocre just so the arena is full and jerseys are sold. Hence why the executive clowns still have their jobs.
People can rip on Butler for not being a good leader or rip Hoiberg for not being a good coach all they want. But in reality, all the anger should be directed at Forman and Paxson because they refuse to rebuild, and it has resulted in the Bulls being stuck in mediocrity.
Being stuck in mediocrity is the worst place you can be in professional basketball. The next time Butler and Wade go on a postgame rant, they should be saying, “Our executives don’t have a clue.”
Mike Smith is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. What do you think of the Chicago Bulls? Let Mike know by emailing him at ms983012@ohio.edu.
