Welcome to Chicago, Rajon and Dwyane! Brand new Chicago guards Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade have played their first few games with the Chicago Bulls and have given Bulls fans a promising glimpse at what to expect this year. The duo will be joining star forward Jimmy Butler along with newly acquired center Robin Lopez, rookie Denzel Valentine, and the rest of the Bulls roster starting Thursday, October 27th as the team begins the 2016-2017 season against the Boston Celtics. Many fans are excited for this season, not just because of all of the new faces on the team, but especially because of the Rondo/Wade duo. Wade has said himself that Rondo is the best point guard he’s played with- even better than rising star Goran Dragic who was his point guard during Wade’s final season with the Miami Heat.
The Bulls played their first preseason game on Monday, October 3rd against the Milwaukee Bucks. Dwyane Wade finished his debut with 6 points off of 2-3 shooting with 1 assist, 2 boards, and 2 steals. As for Rajon Rondo, he went 1-2 in shooting with 2 points, 6 boards, and 7 assists. Rondo has already established himself as a solid starter at the point guard position with his 7 assists. On the other hand, D-Wade started off slow in his progression as a Bulls player based on his sub-par performance his first game. Saturday had proven to be a much better day for him when he scored 22 points and had 8 assists- a performance many would reminisce from his days with the Heat.
Bulls fans have many reasons to be excited about this season, but nothing should excite them more than the oncoming era of Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade. These two will play huge roles with the Bulls and can give them the extra push they need to make it into the playoffs this year. Keep an eye on these two this season, as their performances in the preseason give plenty of promise as to how they’ll do during the 82 games that actually matter.
-James Gordon