Atlanta Hawks: Takeaways From Shocking Win Over Bulls
The Stars Were Out For Chicago
The Chicago Bulls did not lose this game because of Jimmy Butler or Dwyane Wade. They are completely blameless. If they had taken a few more shots in crunch-time, the Bulls probably win this game. There were some questionable decisions made my teammates during the last few minutes that I’m sure will get discussed in the film room this week.
Buter and Wade played like the stars they are. Wade may be past his prime, but he can still conjure up a vintage Wade performance every once and awhile. He finished with 33 points and five rebounds on 14-for-24 shooting, looking like the 2006 version of himself.
Butler was even better, finishing with 40 points on 13-for-22 shooting, 4-for-8 from three-point range, and 10-for-10 from the free-throw line. He was unstoppable. Kent Bazemore and Thabo Sefolosha spent time trying to slow him down, but it was to no avail.
It’s not like Atlanta was playing poor defense. The degree of difficulty on some of these makes from Wade and Butler were off the charts. They hit every shot in the book. Contested threes? Check. Contested mid-range jumpers? Check. Shots at the rim? Check. The list goes on.
They were very upset with their young teammates after the game, questioning whether or not they cared enough about losing.
Butler jumps on the pile: "We don't play hard enough. This is your job. I want to play with guys who care."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 26, 2017
Wade: "This just can’t be acceptable if you want to do anything besides have an NBA jersey on and make some money. That’s all we’re doing."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 26, 2017
It has no doubt been a frustrating season for both Wade and Butler. Wade didn’t come to Chicago to live out the twilight of his career on a losing team. He came to Chicago to build a winner in his hometown. That doesn’t look like it’s going to happen, not with the roster they have constructed.
Butler is in the same boat. He’s just entering the prime of his career. Is he going to spend is best days on a team with ill-fitting pieces and a lackluster front office? These two deserve better from the organization.