If you’ve paid any attention to the Chicago Bulls over the past week or so, you’ve probably come to the realization that the organization is a mess. Players are calling out other players. Coach Hoiberg doesn’t know how to handle his rotation and the front office has no clue how to build a franchise.
Whether you’re an optimist or not, Bulls fans need to come to the harsh realization that this team is in basketball hell. They’re the definition of mediocre. In the NBA, you either want to be near the top or towards the bottom to get a top pick. Being in the middle is the worst position an NBA team can be in.
As I write this column, the Bulls are in 7th in the East, 5-5 over their past 10 games, and are the only team in the NBA with a point differential of 0. They average 101.6 points per game and allow 101.6 points per game. If that doesn’t scream mediocrity, I don’t know what does.
It’s time to blow this whole team up Michael Bay-style. John Paxson, Gar Forman and Jerry Reinsdorf made moves to make sure that they sold tickets. They weren’t worried about winning this season. Instead, they were worried about getting butts in the United Center seats.
What the front office should have done this offseason was completely overhaul the franchise, but they thought signing washed up veterans Dywane Wade and Rajon Rondo would help the Bulls moving forward. Apparently, they forgot Hoiberg preaches a game plan that needs its guards to be able to shoot the three-ball well. Rondo and Wade are notorious for being terrible three-point shooting guards.
It’s not too late for the front office to fix the team though. It may be difficult for them to completely tear down everything they’ve attempted to build, but it’s necessary. This next string of games might make it easier as the Bulls have two of their next three games against the Rockets and Warriors. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were on the outside of the playoff picture by the end of the week.
The Bulls need to trade Rajon Rondo for whatever they can get for him. And sadly, at this point, they need to trade Jimmy Butler to the Boston Celtics for some young talent and, hopefully, the pick the Celtics have from the Brooklyn Nets (which should be at least a top 3 pick this year).
It’s time for this team to tank hard, and that’s why I suggest trading Butler. They need to find youthful, talented players in the draft while planning and building their team around those players. It’s a simple process to understand in the NBA if you’re not in the running for a championship.
Look at what the 76ers are doing. Although their process was lengthier and more strenuous than they would have liked, it seems like things are looking up for them. Joel Embiid has turned into a star and they’re waiting for Ben Simmons, their latest top draft pick, to return from injury.
If the Bulls could find a player like Embiid with the Nets’ pick, they would be set for the next 10-15 years. However, it takes a commitment that this front office has seemed uninterested in trying.
It’s frustrating being a Bulls fan these days. I find myself completely apathetic to the team and will continue to feel this way until the front office figures out what they’re doing.
At this point, all Bulls fans can do is hope they lose the rest of their games so they don’t accidentally find their way into the playoffs just to get swept by the Cavaliers and continue to live in mediocrity.
