If there were any lingering questions on who is in charge when it comes to playing time, well, the usually mild-mannered Fred Hoiberg answered that on Saturday.
“In terms of the decision that was made, it was my decision,’’ Hoiberg said very matter-of-factly.
One night after benching veteran Rajon Rondo for the second half during the loss in Indiana, Hoiberg decided that it would be more permanent, starting Michael Carter-Williams at the point guard spot, as the Bulls lost to Milwaukee, 116-96, at the United Center.
That meant that at least for now, what the Bulls touted as their version of a “Big Three’’ in Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade and Rondo, was down to just two.
Exactly how far was Rondo being buried on the bench?
That also became quite evident in the first quarter, as Hoiberg went with Jerian Grant as the back-up point guard and Rondo was the only Bulls player not to see the floor as they slipped to 16-18 on the year.
After the game, Rondo was asked if that role continued for him would it also lead to the veteran asking to be elsewhere, and without hesitation responded, “Absolutely.’’
“I thought Michael has given us really good energy since he has been back [from injury],’’ Hoiberg said of the change. “He’s done a good job of pushing the pace. He gets up defensively. It’s the decision we decided to go with and hopefully it will pay off.’’
Hoiberg admittedly did have a meeting with Rondo Saturday afternoon, not only to let him know about the decision to sit him, but also what he was hoping to get out of it.
“He was great, very professional,’’ Hoiberg said of the meeting. “We talked about accepting whatever role he has and helping our guys stay ready.’’
And now Rondo wants another meeting. He was scheduled to have a talk with Bulls general manager Gar Forman at some point Saturday night, likely to discuss his immediate future.
“No, I’m not surprised,’’ Rondo said of his benching. “It’s been a tough season for us right now. It’s been ups and downs, and certain buttons are being pushed. The Bulls are trying to figure things out.’’
Rondo did say that Hoiberg told him that “I’ve been looking slow the last five games.’’
The guard didn’t agree with that assessment, but said, “I’m Rajon Rondo. It is what it is.’’
Carter-Williams finished with four points against the Bucks, while Grant chipped in five.
As for Rondo, he signed a two-year, $28 million deal with a partial $3 million guarantee for next season, and in the 29 games he started he averaged 30.2 minutes, 7.2 points, 7.1 assists and 6.5 rebounds per game. The 30-year-old also averaged 2.8 turnovers per game, and shot 37 percent from the field and 33 percent from three-point range.
While Rondo has been relatively well behaved this season, minus a towel thrown in the face of assistant coach Jim Boylen earlier in the month, even veteran Jimmy Butler expressed concern that a Rondo benching could lead to the veteran guard to start “drifting away.’’
Hoiberg felt that wasn’t going to be the case.
“I had a really good meeting with Rajon,’’ Hoiberg reiterated. “He was very professional about it. Again, talked about doing whatever he can to help the team. I think that is very admirable for a guy that has had the type of career that he has had. I know that he’ll be ready when he’s called upon. It’s just the decision we decided to go with to see if we can change the flow of our team.’’
