BOSTON — Dwyane Wade stood in front of the media after another humiliating loss, this time a 100-80 debacle Sunday against the Boston Celtics, and said the front office should be answering the tough questions.
“I wish upper management could be answering these questions,’’ Wade said. “Because I’m tired of answering the same ones every game. I wish I had the answers. But I don’t. I don’t want to say too much. I don’t want to say the wrong thing. I want to get out there and try to play and try to lead. Find a way for me and Jimmy [Butler] to be better to help these guys.’’
Asked if he had to hold back on what needed to be said since general manager Gar Forman and vice president of basketball operations John Paxson already scolded him and Butler with fines earlier this season, Wade said, “I tried that. I’m not doing that no more. Hey, listen, I realize where my place was in this organization. When I spoke out and said what I needed to say, it wasn’t taken highly. My job is to play. I have to be better on the basketball floor.’’
After losing their fifth straight game, the Bulls’ chances of making the playoffs are starting to slip away.
Wade and Butler, who combined to go 6-for-22 from the field against the Celtics, look like they should have deserved most of the blame in the loss.
However, they are working with players who are inexperienced or new to Fred Hoiberg’s system. The front office wants to continue to -develop young talent while attempting to make the playoffs. That’s why players such as Cameron Payne, Joffrey Lauvergne and Paul Zipser are on the floor for extended -minutes.
“We gotta get back to doing the basics before we can try and do anything else,’’ Butler said.
The Bulls (31-35) were outscored 22-9 in the first quarter and missed their first 12 attempts to start the game. And because of all the changes, the offense has become very stagnant, with at least seven players trying to grasp it.
“A lot of people have a lot of things they can say about Fred as a coach,’’ Wade said. “I will defend him on this: This is a tough situation he’s put in now. That’s why sometimes I’m glad I’m on this side of the coin and got a jersey on. I don’t have to make certain decisions because it is tough.
“No one is going to really care too much. Fred gets a nice paycheck. I get a nice paycheck. Jimmy gets a nice paycheck. People don’t care when you get paid good. We’re all in this together.
“It’s on us.’’
The front office already made sure of that.
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Email: jcowley@suntimes.com
