Chicago Bulls: Where And How Did It Go Wrong For The Bulls?

By Ryan Piers | Apr 18, 2016

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The Players

Speaking of Butler, he and the rest of the players should be held accountable as well. “Jimmy Buckets” penned a max contract to start the year, then proceeded to elevate his game and his ego. The latter splintered the team, causing some Twilight-like divide as some players, like Tony Snell and Doug McDermott, looked at Butler as the captain while Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson sided with “Team Rose.”

And at times the two played great, but rarely while they shared the floor. And that’s what was so flippin’ frustrating; Rose finally had a great running mate. And the two just never worked. Butler’s worst move might have been when he called out Hoiberg one month into the season. It was the fart that led to a horrible, wafting odor that never dissipated.

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And then there was Pau Gasol.

He fooled fans with daily double-doubles and looked like he cared after tight wins. Being a perfect showman, he flashed when the spotlight was bright, but refused to do the little things, if you can call playing defense a “little thing.”

The Bulls were 23rd in points in the paint allowed and near the bottom in defensive rebounding percentage, two stats a Hall of Fame big man should be held responsible for. He constantly threatened to opt of his contract, which didn’t exactly bolster the team’s fragile chemistry. I think most fans wouldn’t mind if he left.

It’s tough to blame role players for a team’s demise, but they at least deserve a footnote. Mirotic needed to bulk up, but looks like he spent more time changing channels in the weight room instead of lifting weights (I hear pointing the remote at the TV kind of works your triceps).

McDermott regularly wasted time with half-court trick shots at practice and Tony Snell flat out didn’t show up for the season. Each example more related to basic discipline than talent. Furthermore, between botched appendectomies and contagious knee injuries, the Bulls training staff really needs a top-down examination. You could probably do a whole piece on that, but we’ll spare them for now.

Finally, there’s Rose. The tragic irony Bulls fans felt listening to Tupac’s powerful “The Rose That Grew From Concrete,” the soundtrack to the point guard’s latest Powerade commercial, while watching their hometown hero underperform.

Yes there were flashes of brilliance. But this season might have confirmed that Rose is nothing more than a second-tier point guard who will sometimes record more assists than turnovers. Which is such a shame after Rose bypassed on the flash and sensuality of cities like Miami and Los Angeles to stay with blue-collared Chicago; his hometown nonetheless.

Rose’s comeback appeared to be story-book like- kid from a tough background who achieved stardom, lost it and then found it again as a champion in front of his people. But in Rose’s story, the hero is swallowed by the dragon, the damsel burnt to a crisp.

Next: Moving Forward

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