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Are these Bulls as good as advertised?
Justin Ahrns
Roar Pro
30th July, 2016
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Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler is the best player on his team. (Photo: AAP)
Justin Ahrns
Roar Pro
30th July, 2016
10

There is no denying the Chicago Bulls have been the talk of the NBA for much of the off-season.

Having traded Derrick Rose, lost Joakim Noah to the Knicks, gained Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade, as well as winning the NBA Summer League, Chicago have been busy.

But will all this activity actually result in success? Or is the formation of Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo and Jimmy Butler as a big-3 a three-car pile-up waiting to happen? Here I examine the numbers on the offensive end for Chicago’s starting five.

We all know of Jimmy Butler’s rapid rise up the NBA ranks, Dwyane Wade’s plethora of accomplishments, and Rajon Rondo’s ability to pass the ball.

We also know that the Bulls starting five of Rondo, Wade, Butler, Taj Gibson and Robin Lopez have no floor spacing.

Here is how they ranked in several offensive categories:

In 2016, Wade was 94th in the league in two-point field goal percentage, Butler was ranked 56th, and Rondo at 69th. Taj Gibson failed to crack the top-100, and Robin Lopez ranked a solid 17th.

Now onto three point percentage.

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Surprisingly, Rondo is the only Chicago projected starter to be top-100 in 2016 three-point percentage, shooting 36.5 per cent. That is 68th in the NBA.

Finally, free-throw shooting. Wade shot a respectable 79 per cent from the line last season; Butler shot 83 per cent, Lopez 80 per cent, and Rondo and Gibson were both well below 75 per cent, with Rondo shooting a dreadful 58 per cent.

Looking deeper into the metrics, Gibson and Butler both ranked top-20 last season in offensive rating (the amount of points produced per 100 possessions).

Robin Lopez helped round out the top 50, ranked 46th, while Chicago’s two biggest recruits, Wade and Rondo, were not in the top 50.

Looking at effective field goal percentage (a stat which adjusts the fact that a three is of more value than a two), Robin Lopez is Chicago’s only player in the top 50, ranked 24th.

Finally, the points per shot statistic does not look good for Chicago either, with Butler being their only player in the top 50, ranked 36th.

Chicago’s newly formed starting five is a statistical nightmare on the offensive end. The numbers are not good whether you look at three-point percentage, two-point percentage or any other metric.

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Chicago is going to have to rely on their ability to create good chemistry, and use their three stars to put the ball in the basket.

To compare, four of Golden State’s starters ranked in the top 50 in three-point percentage, including two in the top five.

Three of their five starters were in the top 40 in two-point percentage. They also had three players in the top 20 in effective field goal percentage.

Now, we know the lofty standards the Warriors set on offense, winning 73 regular season games. But the gap in the two offenses, considering the talent on Chicago’s roster, is alarming for Chicago’s championship chances.

They will need to be great defensively, and defy the numbers offensively. No one is saying it is impossible, but don’t be surprised if Chicago fail to meet expectations in 2017.

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