Hoops Habit
Fansided

Jimmy Butler Is Chicago Bulls’ Unquestioned Superstar

By Nathan Grubel

Apr 25, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) looks for a shot against Milwaukee Bucks guard O.J. Mayo (00) in the second quarter in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 25, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) looks for a shot against Milwaukee Bucks guard O.J. Mayo (00) in the second quarter in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The NBA playoffs generally bring out the best of a team’s star players. It’s a great test to see who the team’s true leader is, and if that player can handle the mounting pressure of the organization and its city to win a championship.

More from Chicago Bulls

Jimmy Butler has stepped up for the Chicago Bulls, and has handled the postseason beautifully so far.

During the regular season, Butler took huge steps toward becoming a full-fledged star for the Bulls, as he averaged 20 points per game on 46.2 percent shooting from the field to go along with 5.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.

Since he came into the league, Butler always gave his full effort on defense and showed that he could be counted on as a lockdown wing defender for Chicago. Head coach Tom Thibodeau saw his tenacity on defense and began giving him more minutes over the years in hopes that he could eventually expand his offensive game as well.

This season, not only has Butler been relied upon to guard the opposing team’s best perimeter player, but he has put a full array of skills on offense as well.

Everything starts with Butler’s new and improved handle. When Butler first started playing in the NBA, his game was limited to spot-up shooting, as he didn’t try to do a lot with the ball in his hands.

In his second season, when he started to get a healthy amount of time on the court, Butler only averaged 1.4 assists and 2.8 free-throw attempts per game. These numbers exhibit his lack of aggressiveness driving and making plays with the ball. It’s not that he was a shy player who wasn’t tough or didn’t want to score the basketball, he just didn’t know how.

Fast forward to this season, and it’s clear all the work Butler has put into his game has began to pay off, as those numbers jumped to 3.3 assists and 7.1 free-throw attempts per game. He’s become much more comfortable driving to the basket and drawing contact, as well as passing the ball to his open teammates both in the halfcourt and in transition.

Not only has Butler become better at getting to the line, but he’s also really improved as a mid-range scorer, as he connected on 42.7 percent of his shots from between 10 and 16 feet from the basket.

Butler’s ability to pull-up and hit on shots from inside the arc really opens up the Bulls’ offense, as it makes him a threat that defenses have to ultimately key on, which usually leaves teammates open for better shots.

Butler already had great size for the shooting guard position at 6-foot-7, so seeing him develop his ball skills and become a better scoring weapon has been huge for the Bulls both this season and going forward.

Now that the postseason has started, Butler has taken the fast track at proving to the league that he’s arrived as an all-around superstar. In Chicago’s first three games against the Milwaukee Bucks, Butler averaged 28.3 points per game on 54.3 percent shooting from the field.

Butler has been nothing short of impressive during the playoffs to this point, as he’s come out of the gate and established himself as the Bulls’ No. 1 scoring option, even ahead of veterans such as Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol.

Live Feed

Lakers steal Bulls last chance at a free agency splash
Lakers steal Bulls last chance at a free agency splash /

Pippen Ain't Easy

  • NBA rumors: Trae Young trade buzz, Andre Drummond is a comedian, Wemby and KAT team upFanSided
  • Grade the Trade: Bulls land star guard Trae Young in proposed dealPippen Ain't Easy
  • Hall of Fame a real possibility for Bulls center Andre Drummond?Pippen Ain't Easy
  • Ranking Michael Jordan's 11 most iconic commercials of all-timePippen Ain't Easy
  • These NBA stars might switch teams sooner rather than laterAll U Can Heat

    • His ability to score from anywhere on the floor has been a problem for not just the Bucks but for every NBA team this season. Butler isn’t shy about scoring the ball anymore, and it’s shown of late.

    Not only has Butler put up big numbers so far in the postseason, but he’s been efficient while doing so. His Player Efficiency Rating to this point is 24.1, well above the league average of 15.

    Right now, Butler is the Bulls’ most important player. Not only that, but he’s emerged as their unquestioned superstar and leader on offense.

    Butler’s growth has been a pleasant surprise to many that thought he could just be another “three-and-D” player coming out of college.

    As long as he remains aggressive and hungry, Chicago is going to be a tough team for anyone to knock out of the Eastern Conference playoff race. Even the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to have a tough time against the Bulls if Butler keeps playing this well.

    *Statistics courtesy of Basketball-Reference.

    Next: Bulls Must Fight Versatility With Versatility

    More from Hoops Habit

    Home/Chicago Bulls