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Chicago Bulls: It’s Time To Rest Jimmy Butler

By James D. Tillman III

Nov 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) is fouled by San Antonio Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) during the second half at the United Center. The Bulls defeat the Spurs 92-89. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) is fouled by San Antonio Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) during the second half at the United Center. The Bulls defeat the Spurs 92-89. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports /
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Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler is leading the team in scoring for the second straight year. But in light of recent news regarding his foot injury, should the coaching staff consider resting him for a few games?

Jimmy Butler is arguably the best player on the Chicago Bulls roster depending on your perspective. And as the team’s best player, everyone knows what to expect when he steps on the floor each night: an all-out effort at both ends of the court.

However, Butler has not been playing with the same intensity in light of a recent foot injury that appears to date back to Chicago’s 106-94 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Nov. 20.

But when he was questioned about a limp following the game, Butler jokingly dismissed any potential injury talk.

Then, a few nights later, Butler was thoroughly outplayed by Indiana Pacers forward Paul George. In that contest, George scored 33 points and grabbed eight rebounds, leading the Pacers to 104-92 victory at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

While Butler did score 16 points, he connected on just four of his 10 shot attempts and had a difficult time guarding George most of the night. Being the warrior that he is, Butler has no intention of sitting out as he told CSN Chicago:

"“Man I don’t know what it is, but I’m playing through it.”"

While this is certainly an admirable attitude as one of the leaders of this squad, it may be wise for the Bulls to consider resting Butler at some point and here a few reasons for this sentiment.

Dip In Production

Butler is shooting a respectable 45 percent from the floor, including a 39 percent clip from distance. But since that outing against the Warriors, Butler has gone 20-for-48 from the field, which equates to a 41.6 percent conversion rate.

Although every player will go through shooting woes during the course of the season, it should hardly be considered a coincidence that Butler’s recent shooting struggles are not a direct result of playing on a sore foot.

Short-Term Success Means Nothing

Obviously, every team is better when its star player is on the court, right? The Bulls will more than likely win more games with Butler on the floor compared to him sitting out.

The counterargument to that statement is that early season success should not take precedence over a player’s long-term health. Yes, it is important for every team to win as many games as possible in order the secure the highest seed possible going into the playoffs.

At the same time, however, this Bulls team has had success during the regular season in past years only to flame out in the postseason, in part because of players being fatigued or playing through injuries. So while having Butler in the lineup will help the Bulls win some games right now, the benefit that comes from resting him is that the injury will have time to improve versus getting worse if he continues to play.

Star Players Need To Be Healthy

Although teams can often beat an opponent when they don’t play well during the regular season, that trend doesn’t usually hold true in a playoff series. And in order for a team to have any chance of a deep postseason run, it is an absolute must that the star players be present and accounted for.

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    • Case in point, we will never forget when Derrick Rose —who was one just one season removed from winning the MVP award —went down with a torn ACL injury in 2012. Without their top scorer and facilitator, the top-seeded Bulls were ousted in six games by the Philadelphia 76ers.

    Need another example? Well, it just so happens that I have one.

    Back in 2014, Joakim Noah had a breakout season, posting career highs across the board. However, it would later come to light that he was playing on a bad knee going into the playoffs.

    What was the result?

    The Bulls were eliminated in five games by a Washington Wizards team that was making its first playoff appearance in six seasons. While Noah will never be considered a “star player,” he played a big role in the Bulls’ playoff push. And without his outstanding play during the second half of that season, Chicago would have not made the playoffs.

    Next: Chicago Bulls: Joakim Noah Still A Valuable Piece To Team's Puzzle

    Taking those scenarios into consideration, it would be wise for Fred Hoiberg to rest Butler for a few games at some point to allow the injury to heal some. Or at the very least, ease back Butler’s minutes to an extent. Because at the end of the day, keeping a player on the court for the sake of winning during the regular season is of little benefit if it prevents that player from performing at a high level in the playoffs.

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