Jimmy Butler needs to make sure his personal agenda doesn’t continue to run counter to what the Chicago Bulls try to accomplish offensively.
It will be difficult for the Chicago Bulls to improve if star player Jimmy Butler continues to refuse to buy into the offensive system that new head coach Fred Hoiberg has tried to implement.
Drama and controversy have accompanied Butler’s rise to NBA stardom. His attempt to forcefully grab the leadership role on the team rubbed some of his teammates the wrong way. His outright refusal to buy into the offensive philosophy of his new head coach makes his future in Chicago a bit fuzzy.
At a press conference after the conclusion of the regular season, Bulls general manager Gar Forman confirmed that everyone (including Jimmy Butler) could be part of a trade this summer.
"I would say, I think John [Paxson; VP of Basketball Operations] made it pretty clear we’ve got to take a look at everything. We’ve got to explore all options, and I don’t think there’s anything that’s off the table when you have a disappointing year like this. With that said, obviously Jimmy has had a fantastic year. From where he was to where he’s gotten to, he’s become a very, very valuable player for us.ESPN.com, Nick Friedell"
Success this offseason won’t hinge entirely on the ability of the front office to recruit new talent to Chicago. A simple buy-in by Jimmy Butler could go a long way towards improving this Bulls team, at least offensively.
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Last season, Butler’s obsession with commanding the offense and operating in isolation at the top of the key stagnated the offense. Obviously, Butler can’t be blamed for all of the problems, but he certainly didn’t help things with his selfish style of play.
According to ESPN.com, the Chicago Bulls offense ranked 21st in points per game, 25th in offensive efficiency, 13th in pace and 25th in effective field goal percentage last season.
Butler’s shot selection last season ran counter to what Hoiberg tried to accomplish offensively. At Iowa State, Hoiberg’s teams were successful partly because he eliminated the highly inefficient mid-range jumper from his offensive game plan.
According to college basketball analyst Dylan Burkhardt, only 8.5 percent of shots taken by the Iowa State Cyclones under Hoiberg two seasons ago categorized as mid-range jumpers. The Cyclones ranked 15th nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency that season largely as a result of their reluctance to take this type of shot.
According to NBA.com, 36.2 percent of Butler’s total shot attempts last season categorized as mid-range jumpers. Assuredly, this wasn’t what Hoiberg envisioned from the offense when he took over the Bulls.
In addition, Butler operated in isolation 12.3 percent of the time and 52 percent of his made field goal attempts were unassisted last season.
Related Story: Jimmy Butler and Fred Hoiberg can make each other better next season
The fast-paced, free-flowing offense that the Chicago Bulls front office envisioned when they hired Hoiberg last June never materialized. Butler’s unwillingness to follow the prescribed offensive philosophy was a big part of the problem last season. This blatant resistance to authority was unacceptable from a player who insisted he was the leader of the team.
Can Jimmy Butler change? Maybe.
He is a competitor who loves to win. If Hoiberg or one of his teammates can sell him on the fact that the Bulls have the best chance to win if he buys into the offensive system, this could make a huge difference in his mentality next season.
Ultimately, change comes down to Butler swallowing his pride and realizing that he isn’t good enough to win without his teammates playing at a high level. As a primary ball handler and focal point of the offense, he has the ability to help make his teammates better by following the prescribed offensive plan and keeping his teammates involved.
A successful free-flowing, pace oriented offense is possible, but the players are the ones that have to make it happen. Hoiberg can harp on them all he wants, but we saw last year that if one of the stars doesn’t feel like listening to him, “Hoiball” completely falls by the wayside.
Butler needs to allow himself to fit into the offense. This means making sacrifices such as eliminating some of the mid-range and isolation plays from his offensive arsenal. These sacrifices will lead to a better offense and presumably more wins. If Butler truly values winning, making these sacrifices and buying into what Hoiberg has tried to implement offensively shouldn’t be a problem for him.
Next: Looking at the Bulls' point guard situation this summer
Improving this team offensively next season could be as simple as convincing Butler to buy into what the head coach is trying to do.