Hoops Habit
Fansided

Chicago Bulls: 5 Things To Know About Jimmy Butler’s Injury

By James D. Tillman III

Feb 5, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) is loaded onto a cart after a play in the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 5, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) is loaded onto a cart after a play in the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
Jan 18, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Chicago Bulls center Pau Gasol (16) celebrates with forward Taj Gibson (22) and guard Jimmy Butler (21) during the game against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. The Bulls defeated the Pistons 111-101. Mandatory Credit: Leon Halip-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 18, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Chicago Bulls center Pau Gasol (16) celebrates with forward Taj Gibson (22) and guard Jimmy Butler (21) during the game against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. The Bulls defeated the Pistons 111-101. Mandatory Credit: Leon Halip-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Can The Bulls Remain In Playoff Contention?

In past years, the Bulls continued to march forward whenever a key player was out of the lineup. Remember the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs against the Brooklyn Nets?

Going into the series finale, the Bulls were without Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich and Derrick Rose. Not only that, the Bulls had never won a Game 7 on the road. But despite the odds, the Bulls defeated the Nets 99-93 behind Joakim Noah’s 24 points and 14 rebounds.

The following season, the Bulls lost Rose to a second season-ending knee injury and traded Deng to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Even without the team’s two best players in the lineup, the Bulls finished the season with an improbable 34-14 run that enabled them to finish with the fourth-best record in the conference.

Fast-forward to the present, this Bulls team has had its fair share of injures as well. Joakim Noah is expected to miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. Nikola Mirotic will be out for the foreseeable future following an appendectomy and hematoma removal. Along with that, Rose will be expected to miss games every so often just to ensure he can make it to the postseason in one piece.

One of former coach Tom Thibodeau’s favorite saying was “next man up.” However, being that the Bulls were barely above the .500 mark with Butler having another great season, do they have enough to remain in the playoff picture during his absence?

Next: Who Steps Up In Butler's Absence?

Home/Chicago Bulls