Chicago Bulls: Jimmy Butler Is The No. 1 Option
Derrick Rose‘s time as the Chicago Bulls‘ offensive superstar may very well be over.
I know that’s a bold statement, especially considering Rose is still on the roster and has had moments during the start of the season where he has looked like the dominant point guard that he was years ago, but Chicago has truly found a diamond in the rough in their guard rotation.
I’m talking about Jimmy Butler.
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From when he was drafted by the Bulls in 2011 to now, Butler has added something to his game every season. Coming out of Marquettte, Butler was always looked at as a long forward capable of being a two-way terror on the court.
He didn’t get much playing time in his rookie season, but during his second year in the league Butler started showing signs that he was in fact going to be a major contributor for the Bulls going forward.
When he stepped on the court and got his first major minutes, Butler proved that he was already capable of playing quality defense. He was not afraid to pick up the other team’s best man and check them for the whole game.
One-on-one match ups weren’t Butler’s only strengths, however, as he quickly began to pile up numbers in the steal and block columns in the box score.
Butler was willing to help his teammates on defense and make big plays when they mattered most. Coach Tom Thibodeau had another big defensive weapon at his disposal. The next step was getting him to play quality offense.
Each year, Butler has become more confident on that end of the floor, starting out just hitting three point shots and getting easy buckets on the fast break. This year, Butler has taken his biggest offensive leap thanks to his newly found dribble-drive game.
Improvements to his ball-handling are what have turned Butler into a scoring machine on offense. Now he is no longer limited to being a catch-and-shoot perimeter player or a driver who needs someone to get him the ball. Butler is capable of doing everything himself, and with his great size for his position, he is a scary mismatch out on the wing.
Not only have his ball-handling skills improved, but so has his mid-range jump shot. Figuring out the adjustments one needs to make on their shot when shooting from closer in as opposed to a deeper attempt takes time, especially for a younger player.
Now after having played in the league for four years, Butler has learned how to make those adjustments to his release and timing, and has become a proficient shooter from 10-16 feet.
Butler is so comfortable from that distance that he is shooting 52.4 percent on those shots, giving him another weapon to attack defenses with constantly.
Now the defense has to pay attention to Butler at all times and press up on him, hoping he will cough up the ball and turn it over, or else he will rise and fire in another basket for his team.
Here is a highlight video, courtesy of the NBA’s YouTube channel, that showcases all of Butler’s mentioned improvements in the Bulls win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.
Notice how he is not afraid to take a shot from any distance, and how his newfound skills haven’t taken anything away from the player he already was that makes the hustle plays and fights for loose balls and second chance points.
Between shooting the ball, passing and all of his playmaking ability on defense, Butler has improved every single area of his game this season and then some.
| Season | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | 2P | 2PA | 2P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-12 | 8.5 | 0.8 | 1.9 | .405 | 0.0 | 0.3 | .182 | 0.7 | 1.6 | .441 | 1.0 | 1.3 | .768 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 2.6 |
| 2012-13 | 26.0 | 2.9 | 6.2 | .467 | 0.5 | 1.3 | .381 | 2.4 | 5.0 | .489 | 2.3 | 2.8 | .803 | 4.0 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 8.6 |
| 2013-14 | 38.7 | 4.1 | 10.3 | .397 | 1.0 | 3.6 | .283 | 3.1 | 6.8 | .457 | 3.9 | 5.0 | .769 | 4.9 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 13.1 |
| 2014-15 | 39.9 | 7.1 | 14.5 | .489 | 1.0 | 2.9 | .333 | 6.1 | 11.6 | .527 | 6.8 | 8.2 | .822 | 6.0 | 3.3 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 21.9 |
| Career | 28.1 | 3.3 | 7.6 | .439 | 0.6 | 2.0 | .313 | 2.7 | 5.6 | .483 | 3.0 | 3.8 | .791 | 4.0 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 10.3 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/20/2014.
Butler is not a player to be taken lightly anymore on either end of the floor. It is safe to say that he is the Bulls’ best offensive weapon and the player they are going to count on going forward.
Unless Rose can prove he can stay on the court for a majority of the season and perform well in big games, then the role is Butler’s to lose from now on.
The Bulls need to embrace Butler’s emergence as a legitimate star in order to contend. And if Rose ever gets right, then this team could be downright scary by the end of the season.