Rondo earns praise after Bulls' initial practice
The good news on the opening day of Bulls training camp is nobody broke an eye socket.
Last year during the first scrimmage of the first practice, Derrick Rose caught an accidental elbow from Taj Gibson and was out of action for about three weeks. So already, these Bulls are off to a better start.
There are plenty of new faces in camp this year, but most are well-known to NBA fans. The mystery isn't who these guys are, but how they'll work together on the court.
Without much prompting Tuesday, early raves were tossed at point guard Rajon Rondo, starting with coach Fred Hoiberg.
"He's got the best voice on the team," Hoiberg said after the first of two practice sessions. "When you have a point guard out there who can get you into something and talk the way he does, that sets the tone for everybody."
Hoiberg said Rondo stepped in as a vocal leader the moment he started working out with his new team in August. Rondo was an early target of the Bulls in free agency. He has been in a bit of a slump since leaving Boston two years ago, but Rondo led the NBA in assists last season with Sacramento.
What stands out about Rondo in interview situations is his quiet intelligence. He speaks slowly and thoughtfully, and doesn't seem especially outgoing. Apparently, though, he's getting along well with the more gregarious, camera-friendly Jimmy Butler.
"I'll apologize to Rajon early," Butler said. "He's going to fake me out with one of those darn passes. He's going to do something crazy and I'm going to take off to get back on defense, and the ball is going to be coming to me in the corner. He's just incredible because he sees everything."
Butler continued to suggest basketball chemistry comes easy when great players get together on the floor. The Bulls have an unusual mix because Butler is in his prime, Rondo is trying to bounce back and Dwyane Wade is closer to the end of his career.
"Everything just falls into place, falls into line. You don't have to worry about too much of anything," Butler said. "And with (Rondo), he's an incredible leader. He just wants everybody to be successful."
Asked if players need to like each other to succeed on the court, Butler's answer was yes.
"You've definitely got to like each other," he said. "I feel like if you don't like a guy you're not going to pass him the ball. I think there's a lot of liking on this team.
"Today we were really overpassing the ball. We would get an open shot and we would pass it just so this guy can have it when really you were supposed to shoot it. Do we like each other too much? I hope so."
The Bulls' opening practice was a long one, stretching 2 ½ hours. The plan was to return at night for a shorter, noncontact session.
When he first arrived last year, Hoiberg tried to install a faster-paced offense and got mixed results. Now with Wade and Rondo on board, the plan has been altered slightly.
"The big thing with us offensively is we need to be a much better cutting and screening team," Hoiberg said. "Recognition will be a big thing with this group. And I think we'll be good with that with Rondo. With Rondo coming down the floor with the ball in his hands, you feel very good, because he's generally going to make the right play."
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