The Swift Downfall of the Chicago Bulls

There exist only three certainties in the world: death, taxes, and the implosion of Rajon Rondo. I can’t imagine anyone is too surprised after his latest escapades. If anything, it’s surprising that it took this long for him to blow up on his new team.

Rondo went in on his teammates on Instagram with this tirade early on Thursday night:

[su_quote]My vets would never go to the media. They would come to the team. My vets didn’t pick and choose when they wanted to bring it. They brought it every time they stepped in the gym whether it was practice or a game. They didn’t take days off. My vets didn’t care about their numbers. My vets played for the team. When we lost, they wouldn’t blame us. They took responsibility and got in the gym. They showed the young guys what it meant to work. Even in Boston when we had the best record in the league, if we lost a game, you could hear a pin drop on the bus. They showed us the seriousness of the game. My vets didn’t have an influence on the coaching staff. They couldn’t change the plan because it didn’t work for them. I played under one of the greatest coaches, and he held everyone accountable. It takes 1-15 to win. When you isolate everyone, you can’t win consistently. I may be a lot of things, but I’m not a bad teammate. My goal is to pass what I learned along. The young guys work. They show up. They don’t deserve blame. If anything is questionable, it’s the leadership.[/su_quote]

This comes after a post-game rant from Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade that called out their Bulls teammates following a loss to the Atlanta Hawks. The Bulls appear to be in a freefall after exceeding expectations at the start of the year.

More than anything, this instagram rant seems like Rondo’s way of saying he wants to be traded. This is not the first time Rondo has had some regrettable antics (ahem) but this is probably the most destructive act of his career. After all, the Bulls are still in playoff position and have one of the leagues premier players in Jimmy Butler.

It’s hard to blame this all on Rondo though, as the Bulls’ season was bound to unravel at some point. They signed Rondo and Wade over the summer to try and make a push this season after losing Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. Signing washed up stars may not have been the ideal move for this team however.

The Bulls roster this year consists of Jimmy Butler in his prime, Wade and Rondo as they decline, and a myriad of young budding players including Michael Carter-Williams, Denzel Valentine and Doug McDermott. With that mix of upcoming and declining talent, their pace was simply unsustainable.

It’s hard to predict what comes next for the Bulls. Rondo will almost certainly hit the trade market sooner rather than later. All eyes have to be on Jimmy Butler. Butler has been the center of rumors for a while now. In past years he was often linked to the Boston Celtics. Is it finally time for the Bulls to part with their superstar. For the next few years it will be hard to get past the Cavaliers in the East, so a rebuild may not be the worst idea.

Only time will tell what will happen to the team, but one thing is for sure. They’re dysfunctional, and they’re a mess. It’s unlikely that they retain their playoff spot, and it’s almost unthinkable that they could do any damage in the playoffs. Like it or not, the Bulls have hit their fall from grace. And thanks to Rondo, it’s not gonna be pretty.

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