Chicago Bulls training camp is right around the corner, with the first preseason game coming Oct. 3 against the Milwaukee Bucks. Between then and now, CSNChicago.com will take a look at each player on the Bulls’ roster to preview and project their importance to the team as the Bulls hope to qualify for the 2017 NBA Playoffs.
Player: Rajon Rondo
Position: Point guard
Experience: 12th season
2015-16 stats: 11.9 points, 11.7 assists (led league), 6.0 rebounds (with Sacramento)
2016-17 Outlook: The Bulls will be Rondo’s third team since being traded from Boston early in the 2014-15 season, and he’s trying to find himself in a winning situation where he can have a similar effect to his days with the Celtics.
He led the league in assists last year for the dysfunctional Sacramento Kings, but one would think he won’t have to dominate the ball as much playing next to Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler.
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What he’s lost in freakish athleticism, he’s tried to make up for in set shooting, turning into a 36.5 percent 3-point shooter last season—although teams will sag off him, forcing him to hit a few before ceding space in the paint.
He’s crafty enough to finish well in the paint, although he isn’t a natural scorer. But again, he’s smart enough to have made this work for this long.
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Playing next to Butler and Wade give the Bulls a dynamic perimeter, but it’s one that will take time and work for those three to carry the Bulls. And as the point guard, Rondo’s more of a natural facilitator than Derrick Rose, which could lessen Butler’s dependency on having the ball.
Key word: “Could.”
He’ll get plenty of creative rope from Fred Hoiberg, as Rondo has often clashed with coaches. But Hoiberg isn’t like the control freak Rick Carlisle (Dallas) or the no-fight-in-him George Karl (Sacramento), and will tailor his system to Rondo’s vast talents.
Who knows if Rondo’s style is perfect for Hoiberg, considering he isn’t the floor-spreading shooter Hoiberg craves, and he’s a strong personality (see Butler, Jimmy).
The Bulls continue to tout their youthful makeup, with more than half their roster having four years or less experience, which means Rondo’s genius level basketball intelligence should be used to maximum.
Like virtually every key player on the roster, there’s a level of combustibility that comes with Rondo’s history. But he’s too good to ignore, with the potential to have more than a few great nights.