Friday, January 27, 2017

Chicago Bulls bench, fine Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler after their locker room rants

Shockingly, a day at the races didn’t seem to help the Chicago Bulls.
The team decided to fine stars Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade an undisclosed amount on Friday, prior to benching the team’s two-highest paid players in its home contest with the Miami Heat:
 

Rookie Paul Zipser and ever-struggling third-year pro Doug McDermott started in their place.

For now, this appears to be the place the team will rest at in reaction to the mess it endured on Wednesday and Thursday.
That isn’t to say things were kitchen-clean on Friday, though.
The team had hours upon hours to come up with a cogent response in the wake of not only Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler’s duel-tirades against Bulls teammates, coaching staff and front office, but Rajon Rondo’s weak-tea Instagram response directed solely at Wade and Butler.
Convening for a shootaround before the press prior to Friday’s home game against the Miami Heat, the Bulls offered little in terms of a coherent much less warming response to Thursday’s chill:
 
(Transcription via Pro Basketball Talk.)
“We were extremely disappointed that several players chose to speak out after our last game. You know, every team has issues. And it’s our strong belief that when you have issues or critical comments, that you keep those issues or critical comments in-house, that it’s not shared through [media], that it’s shared through social media. It’s not how want to operate. It is totally unacceptable, and we made it very clear to the players that were involved that it’s unacceptable.”

(You’ll notice Gar Forman, the general manager, then walking away from the media without answering questions.)
Take it away, Jimmy Butler!

Rajon Rondo!
“Um, I won’t lose sleep at night,’’ Rondo said when asked if his future with the Bulls was further in doubt. “I’m going to continue to be Rajon Rondo, and that’s all I can be. I’m going to come in here and work, do what I can for this team while I’m here. However they use me, that’s what it’s going to be.’’

Dwyane Wade, three-time NBA champion:
“As a leader, sometimes you can’t be liked,’’ Wade said. “It’s the harsh truth and harsh reality. I’m probably not liked in this locker room today. I’m OK with that. I just want this team to reach its potential. I want these young players to reach their potential. Maybe you don’t see it today. Maybe we don’t get better tonight. But hopefully they’re taking steps and we’re taking steps as a team to reach that and further on for their careers.’’

Well, then. The kids will get better, because the fighting adults won’t change for anyone. Dwyane Wade said so.
GM Gar Forman said nothing, outside of what was essentially a statement, leaving him prone to cries of, well, let’s not get into that:
Any beefs?

Any punishment?
 
And the coach? Fred Hoiberg?
 
Sounds like an expertly-constructed basketball team.




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