Weaknesses:
If I had a say in who stays with the team, I would get rid of Jimmy Butler.
His approach to the game largely conflicts with the style of play Hoiberg is encouraging the team to play. Butler loves to play isolation. If you watch the two-time NBA All-Star guard play, you’ll see that he is, in some ways, hindering the squad’s development at the expense of the team’s success. Yes, Butler made a good fit in Thibodeau’s system and is deserving of the contract he earned last summer, but it might be best for the squad to part ways if he won’t adapt.
I cannot imagine Butler will change his approach to the game at this point in his career. He may be last season’s most improved player, but how much room for growth does he have left in him? It doesn’t help that Butler’s teammates have shown in flashes how much more improved they are at maintaining pace and spacing the floor when he’s not in uniform.
Next: Strengths