The Chicago Bulls will come into the 2016-17 season with a revamped roster, but a potential set of new problems.
Last season was hard to swallow for Chicago Bulls‘ fans. Between the seemingly nonstop locker room drama, the plethora of injuries on the table and missing the playoffs, 2015-16 is a year Chicagoans are happy to forget.
Especially when they have so much to look forward to in 2016-17.
Hopefully.
There is no denying that the organization made some smart moves this offseason. With Derrick Rose already seemingly having lost his drive, the Bulls dodged a bullet in having to deal with his pending legal issues.
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And while Joakim Noah remained a fan favorite until the end, his shoulder injury could possibly get worse with age. Not to mention that with both of those guys around, Jimmy Butler could have never developed into the leader he strives to become.
Sure, Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade do not exactly fit the description of “younger and more athletic.” But they are two veteran superstars. And Chicago has never been able to lure a big name over.
Robin Lopez is a solid enough center, with eight years of experience under his belt.
And Denzel Valentine should be able to mold a nice career for himself, as long as he stays healthy.
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Not to mention that management seems to finally be doing something right with the young’uns, having led the team to a Summer League Championship.
But although improvements to the roster have been made, there are still several problems the Bulls will have to address this upcoming season.
For one, how well with Rondo, Wade and Butler really function together?
Yes, more talent should equal more success. But it is not always that simple.
For instance, there is a potential issue in the fact that all three of these guys perform best in more or less the same situation: calling plays with the ball in their hands, ready to drive to the rim.
So Hoiberg and company will have to learn how to utilize the three of them slightly differently, in order to be most effective on the court. And to avoid ego clashes.
The other thing to note about this new trio is their lack of three-point shooting.
While Rondo shot just 36.5 percent from beyond the arc last season, Butler clocked in a measly 31.2 percent. And Wade? 15.9.
Yikes.
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Chicago may never have based their identity on three-point shooting but when top dogs like the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers are starting to rely more and more on such a skill … it would be helpful if the best players on your team could compete.
Team defense is something to be concerned about, too.
Lopez, despite somehow being the only real center on the team, cannot man the other end of the court by himself. Especially as he only averaged 7.3 rebounds per matchup last year.
So guys like Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic, who averaged 6.9 rebounds and 5.5 rebounds a game in 2015-16 respectively, will certainly need to step it up.
And with Rondo having averaged 6.0 rebounds per contest, and Wade tallying 4.1, these two new additions do little to nothing in regards to said problem.
Then there is Hoiberg’s system period.
That, so far, has basically been a total fail.
Although Butler was technically the only one to openly speak out against Hoiberg, the team did not exactly thrive under new leadership.
And now, Hoiberg has a whole new batch of personalities to try to understand, and ultimately convert into believers.
This may be a task, given that Rondo has acted out against every coach he has ever had, and Wade has been spoiled with the likes of Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra for 13 years.
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Fans should without a doubt be excited about what is to come for the Bulls. As long as they remember, of course, that 2016-17 will bring about new battles to conquer.