Wade, Rondo, Butler encouraging each other to shoot 3s
The Chicago Bulls have a plan for overcoming their ostensible shooting deficiencies this season: Shoot their way through it.
The Bulls signed Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo this past summer, two aging wings who've been bricky long-range shooters, even in their primes. They'll fill out a starting lineup that includes range-less center Robin Lopez, and slashing swingman Jimmy Butler - who shot 31.2 percent on threes last season.
The only above-average (or even average) 3-point shooter in the Bulls' projected starting five is power forward Nikola Mirotic, and the likely result is a debilitating lack of spacing in their offense.
Wade, however, has exuded optimism about his 3-point shot, and excitement about a "new era" of beyond-the-arc slinging in Chicago.
After he went 3-of-4 from deep in the Bulls' preseason win over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night, Wade told reporters that he, Rondo, and Butler have been encouraging each other to shoot the three, and are feeling increasingly comfortable letting it fly.
For Bulls fans, that could be cause for celebration - or despair. It kind of depends where one stands vis-a-vis old dogs learning new tricks.