The Facilitator
There’s a rational question circulating throughout the NBA: how are the Chicago Bulls going to space the floor? Jimmy Butler is a solid, but not spectacular shooter, and he’s surrounded by two subpar 3-point shooters: Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade.
That’s an entirely fair concern, but one shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss how beneficial it will be for Butler to play alongside a pass-first point guard.
Butler and Derrick Rose ran into trouble due to the shared belief that they should have the ball in their respective hands. When Rose’s health became an issue, Butler stepped up and established himself as a star-caliber offensive player.
As previously alluded to, Butler averaged 28.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.0 assists during games that Rose missed in 2015-16.
Rondo has fallen from grace, but this isn’t an underdog Sacramento Kings team. He’ll be playing alongside two fellow All-Stars in Butler and Wade, who should hold him to a higher standard on both ends.
As for Butler, playing with a three-time assists leader who has an NBA championship should help him score with improved efficiency in 2016-17.
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