By Jim Coffman
Does Dwyane Wade understand yet? He attended practice on Saturday after the team’s younger players called him out for skipping it so much. And that practice certainly seemed to help as the Bulls bounced back from an embarrassing loss to the Heat on Friday night with a decisive 121-108 win over the Sixers on Sunday. The Bulls are now 24-25.
But Wade also spent time whining over the weekend about people having unfair expectations for how much work a 35-year-old basketball player should put in.
Let’s try one final time to make something clear to the veteran shooting guard: You and Bulls management can work out what your best schedule should be. I happen to think it is ludicrous for a player who is making $23 million this year to skip multiple practices, but that’s just me.
The problem, which at this point I think is obvious to just about everyone other than Wade, occurs when you don’t work hard but then you open your mouth and castigate teammates for not working hard. The hypocrisy is blinding.
All of the ramifications of what happened this past week are secondary to Wade’s mindset coming out of all this. Has he figured out that he has to do better? Only time will tell.
And is anyone else tired of the Bulls’ endless overreaction to Tom Thibodeau’s tenure as coach? Yes, Thibs may have overworked some players. But that doesn’t mean you turn around and give everyone a day off every week. The Bulls have clearly swung back way too far away from making guys work hard.
If Wade can regain his bearings, it will still be better for the Bulls to play this season out and then have Butler and Wade get to work trying to recruit a big-time free agent for next year.
What’s that you say? Wade says he might not stay with the Bulls? He will when he looks around and realizes that the $23 million he will receive by exercising his Bulls option will far, far exceed what anyone else is willing to pay him.
Meanwhile the Bulls stumble into a six-game road trip that starts Wednesday at Oklahoma City. There will be oh so much time for everyone to think about better predicting the consequences of their actions.
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See also:
* Friedell: Bulls’ Younger Players Want Dwyane Wade To Practice More.
* Albert: Magic Johnson: Dwyane Wade Doesn’t Need To Practice.
* Johnson: Rondo Strengthens Bonds With Younger Teammates.
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And:
Some Chicago Bulls role players reportedly believe Dwyane Wade & Jimmy Butler play ‘buddy ball’ instead of involving everyone else. (Y!)
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) January 27, 2017
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Finally, from Sunday:
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Comments welcome.
Posted on January 30, 2017