Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat: 3 takeaways from a pathetic performance
The Chicago Bulls lost again on Friday and drop to 23-25 in the aftermath of the organization drama over the past couple of days.
This week has been an absolute laceration of the Chicago Bulls team chemistry.
To cap it at an all-time low, the Bulls dropped yet another game to the Miami Heat on Friday.
As we all know by now, Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler offered some interesting post-game comments after their meltdown loss against the Atlanta Hawks earlier this week. To say the least, this was a pivotal game to watch this season in terms of the on-court body language by the players.
And boy, was it a fun time.
How about this for pregame news:
Yup, Butler and Wade were scrapped from the starting lineup 90 minutes before tip-off. Should we even be surprised?
Enough of the petty talk. How about Rondo showing up with one of his most efficient games as a Bull?
Check out these three takeaways from Friday’s loss, starting with Rondo’s contributions off the bench.
Jan 27, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Rajon Rondo (left) and forward Jimmy Butler (right) on the bench to start the first quarter against the Miami Heat at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Backing Up the Talk
Rajon Rondo set social media ablaze with his Instagram post earlier this week in the wake of Butler and Wade’s comments.
Rondo seemed pretty unfazed by the media attention and backlash he may have accumulated from his teammate’s behind closed doors.
On Friday, he threw up a pretty “gnarly” (don’t judge, stay with me here) Rondo-esque stat line against Miami. He finished with 13 points, adding seven rebounds, seven assists, and three steals on the defensive end. He casually tossed in a 3-pointer as well, contributing to one of the team’s only three makes (3-for-13 as a team).
It seems like Rondo made his point, having the better game of the Three Alphas (figured I would use that name one last time) as Wade and Butler combine for a 7-for-30 night.
He clocked out with a +/- of +8; the best on the team.
Next comes the real issue: What was Jimmy doing?
Jan 27, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) enters the game during the first quarter against the Miami Heat at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Where Was Jimmy?
Jimmy Butler could not have played any worse on Friday night.
He racked up a season-low three points on 1-for-13 shooting, with a game-worst +/- of -23.
Let’s take a look at the only highlight of Butler’s night, courtesy of @_MarcusD2_:
Butler block pic.twitter.com/lL9wE3cmjm
— ⓂarcusD2.0 (@_MarcusD2_) January 28, 2017
Not even at this point were Bulls fans expecting a great game out of Butler.
In fact, the rest of the game probably had us like:
— ⓂarcusD2.0 (@_MarcusD2_) January 28, 2017
Here’s my plain and simple take: Butler couldn’t care less about this game. His body language and on-court sluggishness coming off the bench was surely more distress for Bulls fans.
Not much to say about Butler’s game, except there were easily missed opportunities, like completely botching an alley-oop thrown to him early in the game.
He even went as far as to taking himself out of the game after earning his second foul in the first half of the game.
Check out his post-game interview:
Jimmy Butler after the game. pic.twitter.com/kkrTpjLMdJ
— ⓂarcusD2.0 (@_MarcusD2_) January 28, 2017
Jan 24, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg looks on against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Fan Base Woes
The Bulls were escorted off the court with boos from the crowd. Not light boos, loud boos.
The crowd might as well have been equipped with tomatoes. The “effort” Butler and Wade have been talking about was again lackadaisical.
Check this out:
Boos raining down at the end of the Chicago Bulls game. pic.twitter.com/1Hm48u4aJS
— ⓂarcusD2.0 (@_MarcusD2_) January 28, 2017
Fans are angry, which is completely understandable. I would be pretty upset too if I paid money to attend a game, finding out the two best players were benched because of “disciplinary” reasons.
The Chicago Bulls have hit an all-time low before the All-Star break. All things considered, it is rather surprising they have lasted this long without any roster changes.
However, once again, should we be surprised?
This loss definitely proves there are things bigger than basketball occurring beyond where the public eye can see. There are some serious internal problems that must be addressed between the members of this team if they wish to push forward.
If things continue to go the way they do, expect scenarios similar to this at almost every home game:
Live from the UC pic.twitter.com/L623vJKQUL
— Pippen Ain't Easy (@BullsBeatBlog) January 28, 2017
The Bulls are back at it again on Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers, who have been playing well as of late. Let’s hope for a sense of togetherness coming soon, starting with game 49 on Sunday.
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