Jerian Grant benched for Rajon Rondo as musical chairs continue for Bulls

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CHARLOTTE—Confusion.

That’s the prevailing feeling among the Bulls players these days so as Jerian Grant was removed from the starting lineup by Fred Hoiberg for Rajon Rondo, Grant didn’t seem the least bit surprised.

He doesn’t know when he’ll play or if he’ll play in Monday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets but considering the musical chairs the Bulls have employed at the point guard spot, it’s par for the course at this point of the season.

“I think I felt it coming,” Grant said at his locker at the Spectrum Center. “Obviously the last two games, I’ve probably played a combined 15 minutes if that. I kind of felt like something was coming and it’s been the point guard spot.”

Hoiberg said the change had to deal with pushing the pace and Grant also added it was to get Jimmy Butler some easier shots. Rondo is more of a natural playmaker than any of the point guards they’ve employed as a starter—which would be Rondo, Carter-Williams and Grant.

“The biggest reason I guess I want to try and get a little bit more pace out of the gate,” Hoiberg said. “You know we’re struggling to get easy baskets, obviously in that first group.”

The Bulls scored just nine points in the first quarter of their blowout loss to the Celtics Sunday afternoon, and Grant said the point guard position is the easiest to blame.

“Just the cycle,” Grant said. “When things go wrong, it’s the point guard’s fault. That’s how it is on most teams so that’s how it is here too.”

Except things in Chicago with the Bulls are a little different than most teams, with Hoiberg playing 12 players in first halves in the attempt to “evaluate” while the players are trying to win games and impress the front office.

Grant thought he impressed someone with his fourth quarter play in Orlando when he scored half of the Bulls’ points last week. Then two days later, he was yanked after two and a half minutes for Michael Carter-Williams and hasn’t seen much time since.

“That was a tough one for sure to understand. Don’t really completely understand it but it’s Coach’s decision. Can’t really go against that,” he said. “It’s super tough. You’re labeled as a starter but when you’re only playing 10-12 minutes a game, that’s not really how it is. The Orlando game, I had a pretty good game. The very next game, you come out within 2 minutes and it’s definitely tough to get into a rhythm and give yourself confidence when you’re getting pulled like that.”

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