Bulls may be Butler's team, but what does that mean?
Dwyane Wade proclaimed the Bulls are Jimmy Butler's team. Rajon Rondo said it was Jimmy Butler's team.
So it's settled, right? See you at training camp.
Except it's not that simple. What does that even mean, the Bulls are Jimmy Butler's team? Well, he's younger than the two new additions and figures to be the team's best player and leading scorer, but that's about it.
Whatever fictional title is bestowed, the Bulls still have to figure out how to get Butler, Wade and Rondo working well together, while bringing along the younger players.
"All of it will take time," Wade said Friday. "I don't have answers on how it's going to work. I know we're going to figure it out, because as individuals, if you want something to work, you will find a way to make it work.
"For us, it's going to be about constant communication. So I hope Jimmy has an unlimited (phone) plan as he's traveling around the world, because I'm going to be texting him and continue to try to build this camaraderie before we even get to training camp, make sure us three as leaders are on the same page of what we need to do to be successful. That's all we can ask for."
It doesn't have to come together right away. In Miami's first season with Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh, the Heat started 9-8. In contrast, Boston's 2007-08 Big Three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, with a 21-year-old Rondo at point guard, did excel right away, starting the season with a 29-3 record.
As for how the Bulls' new lineup will work, there might be inspiration in both the Miami and Boston models. Granted, the Bulls don't have the same level of talent as those teams, but the style of play could be a model.
In Miami's case, Wade and James were two strong wing players, somewhat similar to what the Bulls will have with Wade and Butler. Bosh was mostly an outside shooter and there wasn't a big scorer at point guard.
While James and Wade were dynamic on the fast break, in the half court they often took turns as the lead. It seemed like the Heat would have a Wade possession on one trip and a LeBron possession the next trip.
Both were capable of scoring or making plays for teammates, and one way this worked is it allowed those two players to essentially take possessions off. They could save some energy for running the break, playing defense and turning up the heat late in games. The Bulls certainly remember blowing a 12-point lead in the final minutes of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals in 2011.
The 2007-08 Celtics were very much a jump-shooting team that moved the ball exceptionally well. According to nba.com, Rondo actually led that group in shots per game within five feet.
Rondo also led the Celtics in assists at 5.1 per game, but Pierce, Garnett and Allen all averaged at least 3. That team made the game easy by passing the ball around and always finding the open man, usually a future Hall of Famer.
Looking at these examples, we see that maybe Butler and Wade can continue playing their usual style and give each other a break along the way. Rondo can be a penetrating point guard who can score in the paint and find open teammates. He led the NBA in assists last season at 11.7 per game while playing in Sacramento. Wade and Butler averaged close to 5 assists last year, so ball movement should be a strength.
Another important part of the Bulls' lineup is going to be the fourth wheel. They need people to spread the floor and knock down some 3-point shots. The three likely candidates - Doug McDermott, Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis - are unproven.
Wade acknowledged Friday that 3-point shooting is the trend in the NBA and Wade-Rondo is probably the worst long-range shooting backcourt in the league right now. Rondo shot .365 from 3-point land, a career-high, last season; while Wade was a career-low .159.
"We have guys who can make shots, but I'm not going to lie and say we're all going to shoot 50 percent from 3 next year," Wade said.
Two all-star caliber wings and a league-leader in assists isn't a bad start to a team. The Bulls should be in good shape for interior defense with Taj Gibson and Robin Lopez. But they're also counting heavily on some younger guys to add outside shooting.
"Last time I checked, the ball has to go through the basket," Wade said. "I've been pretty successful putting it through the basket. Jimmy has been pretty successful. He's going to be even more successful. And Rondo is going to know how to make sure he gets everybody the ball to put it in the basket."
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