The Chicago Bulls were supposed to have a terrible 3-point-shooting backcourt entering the season with Rajon Rondo, Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler. Those three combined to shoot 32 percent from beyond the arc last season.
In the Bulls' season-opening win over the Boston Celtics, the backcourt trio was anything but terrible. They shot 9-of-16 from beyond the arc. The rest of the Bulls shot 2-of-9. Rondo, Wade and Butler actually shot better from 3-point range (64 percent) than they did from inside the arc (17 percent).
According to ESPN Stats and Information research, eight of their nine made 3-pointers were assisted, five were contested and five were made with Avery Bradley as the primary defender.
Rondo, Wade and Butler spent 20 minutes on the floor together, and the Bulls outscored the Celtics 50-33 while assisting on 14 of their 18 made shots.
Perhaps the most impressive Bulls player was Wade, who hit four of his six 3-point attempts, his most makes in a regular-season game since January 2013 against the Indiana Pacers.
Since the start of the 2015-16 playoffs, Wade has shot better than both of the Splash Brothers from 3-point range. Of the 75-plus players with at least 20 attempts over that span, Wade leads all of them in 3-point field goal percentage (55.2).
