Rondo, Wade want talking, stalking on ‘ D’
The preseason, and even the regular- season opener Thursday against the Celtics, was just a small sample size.
But if this latest Bulls project is going to work, the defense and communication have to improve.
This comes as no surprise. Several players called attention to the lack of communication on defense last season. The Bulls went from topping the league in defensive efficiency Jan. 1 to finishing 15th by the end of the season, a dramatic drop- off that would be hard to pull off even if a team tried.
Rajon Rondo doesn’t want to see a rerun.
He already has noticed the breakdowns on defense and will continue to get on his teammates until he sees improvement.
“It’s a work in progress,’’ Rondo said. “We have a lot to work on together to improve on defense. I would like our communication to get better.
‘‘ But that’s gonna take time and guys trusting each other, playing with one another and getting out of your comfort zone. Not everybody’s a talker. In the locker room we talk a lot, so it shouldn’t be hard to translate on the floor.’’
Rondo wasn’t the only one throwing around the “trust’’ word, either.
“It’s all about trust,’’ Dwyane Wade said about the Bulls’ defense. “It’s like with anything. If you don’t know somebody like that, you’re not going to trust them with your life. On the basketball court, you have to trust the guy that’s going to have your back.
‘‘ Defensively, a lot of times guys will go to what they know and that’s, ‘ I’m going to guard my man.’ But when you’re playing team basketball, it’s all about helping each other. It’s not necessarily about guarding your own man. It’s not a one- on- one game.
“So it’s all about building that trust. You do that by getting to know a guy, being in the foxhole with that guy, going through tough moments with him, learning from each other, talking with each other. We’ve built some trust already. But there are more levels we can go to.’’
Outside presence
The Bulls continued to tinker with the roster, as well as address their lack of outside shooting, announcing before the game with the Celtics that they signed guard R. J. Hunter.
Hunter was the Celtics’ first- round pick ( 28th overall) in the 2015 draft and shot 30.2 percent from three- point range his rookie year.
“We feel we’ve got some shooting with this team, but you can never have enough,’’ coach Fred Hoiberg said.
“It’s something where if we can get our playmakers into the paint to be able to spray out to guys that can spread the floor, you know that’s obviously something that can help our team.’’
Hunter will wear No. 31 and brings the Bulls’ roster to 15.
Friendly reminder
Now that Wade’s homecoming is official, he still finds himself answering questions about his return to Chicago and how it compares to LeBron James returning to Cleveland.
Did he feel like he needed to break the championship jinx, like James did for the Cavaliers? The question made Wade snicker.
“We don’t have a jinx, really,’’ Wade said. “I’m looking at [ six championship] banners back there. But for me, I think everyone’s journey and everyone’s story is different.’’