4. Jimmy Butler
Amid all of the attention given to Derrick Rose and his struggles to stay healthy, rose another star in Jimmy Butler.
On Oct. 16, 2014, Butler capitalized on a shot that appears to hold a degree of difficulty and entertainment value. The crowd loved it, Butler loved it, and even his teammates loved it.
At this point in his career, Butler largely deferred to his teammate Derrick Rose as being the alpha dog of the Chicago Bulls franchise.
But, as the highlights show Butler was beginning to emerge as a game-changer. It also started to become more clear why the 2016 Rio Olympian had clinched a spot in modern Chicago Bulls history.
From reviewing the tapes, the 32 percent career three-point shooter pulled up for a long-range jumper at a critical point in a win-or-lose situation. The Atlanta Hawks led by just two points at the time. While the Bulls could’ve stretched the game by taking a less difficult shot, the situation didn’t pan out accordingly. Butler took a deep shot in a close game that could’ve gone either way.
Still, Chicago Bulls fans didn’t appear to fret when the game clock expired and the ball touched the bottom of the net.