With his team tied 2-2 with the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg needs to figure out his rotations … soon.
The Chicago Bulls are in trouble.
After taking a commanding 2-0 lead over the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs, the series is now tied at 2-2, in large part because Rajon Rondo was sidelined with a broken thumb and torn wrist ligament.
But the two losses at the United Center were ultimately due to head coach Fred Hoiberg's inability to make proper adjustments.
Many of Hoiberg's coaching decisions this year have been head-scratching, at best, with most of those having to do with his rotations.
Multiple players have taken the dreaded Do Not Play – Coach's Decision line, a common enough circumstance in the league, except for the fact that with most teams, it is usually merited and limited to one or two guys a season.
During his 2016-17 run, Rondo, Jerian Grant, Michael Carter-Williams, Nikola Mirotic, Paul Zipser, Cameron Payne and Denzel Valentine have received DNP-CDs from Hoiberg, all for reasons unknown.
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Take Grant, for example. After starting 19 out of 20 games, the point guard was reduced to only nine minutes the next game and was thereafter given a DNP-CD. This, after Grant steadily shot 42 percent from downtown, providing the team with some much needed spacing.
Makes sense.
Unfortunately, however, Hoiberg's inefficient use of his roster has carried on into the postseason.
While things went pretty well in the first two games against the Celtics, everything changed once Rondo was taken out of the equation. Suddenly, Chicago looked like its regular-season self again: a freaking hot mess.
Although it did not help that Jimmy Butler only had 14 points on 7-of-21 shooting in Game 3 and Dwyane Wade finished Game 4 going 5-for-12 from the floor for 11 points, there were much larger issues at hand.
Like Robin Lopez playing a combined 43 minutes in Games 3 and 4.
After two solid performances in Games 1 and 2, Hoiberg decided to ease off the big man a little, a terrible mistake given that the Bulls should actually be focusing on destroying Boston in the paint.
This is especially true when combined with the fact Chicago no longer has Rondo to make sure guys are open and getting the ball down there.
Similarly, it is clear neither Grant nor Carter-Williams are getting the job done.
The two scored a combined eight points in Game 3, with Carter-Williams dishing out a mere three assists. But it gets worse. In Game 4, they went scoreless and had just one assist each.
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While Isaiah Canaan was thankfully given a chance in Game 4 (and produced an impressive 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting), there is no reason that Valentine should not be out there.
Scoring four points in three minutes of Game 3, as Hoiberg emptied his bench when the loss was evident, Valentine saw zero tick in Game 4.
Yes, even after Grant and Carter-Williams failed to perform as successful substitutes for Rondo.
So is Hoiberg going to make any changes moving forward?
Well, Wade sure hopes so.
"They made adjustments (after losing the first 2 games in Boston). We didn't need to because we were up 2-0. Then coming off of Game 3, we felt watching the film we played low motor, not enough energy, so we didn't feel the game plan was necessarily the key. But it was coming out of Game 4. So now I'm sure it will be a few adjustments we'll look to make, and hopefully it makes a difference."
But he and fans alike, should not hold their breaths.
While Tuesday it was reported that Rondo would like to return for Game 5, that plan has just been shut down. And as one may expect, Hoiberg still has not committed to any lineups.
At least Canaan will be given the start.
Game 5 is Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. CDT.
