Raking in Rajon

With Derrick Rose gone and the Bulls looking to get younger and more athletic, quite a few were surprised when the team met with Rajon Rondo on Friday.  Wasn't this going against what Gar Forman had preached on draft night?  Rondo, most recently with the Sacramento Kings, is 30 years old and has a surgically repaired ACL as well as a polarizing reputation among teammates and opponents.  None of that mattered to the Bulls' brass.

Rondo agreed to a two-year, $28 million contract with the Bulls on Sunday, making him the starting point guard.  The second year of the four-time All-Star's contract is partially guaranteed.  It's probably not exactly what Rondo, joining his fourth team in less than two years, had in mind, but he and Fred Hoiberg had good feelings after watching film for over an hour during the meeting.

Rondo led the NBA in assists for the third time in his career last season, averaging 11.7 dimes per game (matching a career-high set in 2012-13 with Boston) to go with 11.9 points and six rebounds.  He recorded 10 assists in 51 of his 72 games, twice reaching the 20 mark.  But not everything went smoothly as he earned a one-game suspension for using a homophobic slur against gay official Bill Kennedy.

This move means different things for the Bulls on two fronts.  It drops their salary cap space to $84 million, so Dwyane Wade most certainly won't be coming to Chicago now.  As for the point guard position, Jose Calderon could be waived, but Spencer Dinwiddie is a more likely candidate because his contract is non-guaranteed.

Some are skeptical about pairing Rondo with Jimmy Butler, who's come to be known as much of a control freak.  But if there's any point guard in the league who can give Jimmy the shots he wants at any cost, it's Rondo.  He knows how to create opportunities for his teammates, sometimes with reckless abandon.  Although that might not always work, it would certainly be better than Butler and Rose acting indecisive on who gets opportunities at certain times.

Others would rather see the young players on the team get most of the minutes since this move probably makes the Bulls a middle playoff seed at best.  Really though, you shouldn't want to watch bad basketball simply because guys aren't talented enough.  Yes, the Bulls just failed to make the playoffs with guys who supposedly have talent, which is maddening by itself, but it's even more difficult to watch a team that you know has no chance.  At least with Rondo, you know you're watching a proven commodity and thus, increases your chances of winning.

Perhaps biggest of all, people simply don't like the way Rondo carries himself.  After all, this is the same guy who allegedly got away with a flagrant foul that bloodied up Brad Miller in Game 5 of the 2009 first-round playoff series with Boston.  The counterpoint is nobody in Chicago cared much for Dennis Rodman either until he arrived.  Just because you have hard feelings for him, it shouldn't affect how much of this coming year's team you choose to watch.

Whatever you feel about Rondo or the decision to sign him, don't send everyone involved off a cliff yet, though everything that's happened up to that point would make it justifiable.  Let's see how well Rondo and Fred Hoiberg mesh together or if they even mesh at all.  Almost every move is worth giving the benefit of the doubt.  This is one that could at least make for some entertaining times at the United Center.