Jan 7, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) dunk the ball against the Utah Jazz during the second half at the United Center. The Utah Jazz defeat the Chicago Bulls 97-77. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
#1 – Jimmy Butler
Butler has been the best and biggest surprise this season for the Bulls.
The 25-year-old guard from Marquette is currently averaging 20.1 points, 3.3 assists and 6 rebounds in a crazy 39.5 minutes per game. He has been much more aggressive this year; averaging eight free-throw attempts per game (fourth best in the league). He is also shooting a solid 34% from beyond the arc.
Last year was when Bulls fans expected Butler to take the next step and improve. We were disappointed when he finished with just 13 points and 5 rebounds, considering he shot a horrendous 39.9% from the field and 28% from beyond the arc. Of course Butler was still one of the best defenders in the league, but with Rose out and no Gasol, a lot of the scoring load was left for him, which he wasn’t yet ready to handle.
This year has been a completely different story. Butler has emerged as one of the best two-way players in the NBA, and he is already being considered to win the Most Improved Player award. His fantastic defense is one of the reasons Butler is above Gasol on this list, because Butler can shut down any elite scorer in the league, and at the same time wear them out on the offensive end. Take a game against the Houston Rockets for example. Butler forced Harden into an abysmal 7-22 shooting, and allowed him to attempt only three free-throws (he averages 9.2 per game). On the other end, Butler finished with 22 points, making sure Harden was occupied throughout the entire game.
Butler has been a fantastic player for the Bulls this season, and you can continue to expect him to do very well for the rest of the season.
Thanks for reading! Stats were last updated January 22nd.