Apparently the Chicago Bulls front office has some qualms about going all in on Jimmy Butler as the future of the franchise. Is he fit to lead a championship team?
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Recently Nick Friedell appeared on Mike & Mike, as well as The Lowe Post to speak on what has been a crazy week for the Chicago Bulls. Conversation centered around Jimmy Butler and whether he can be the first option on a championship caliber team.
The question is not focused on Butler’s stellar play, but his ability to be the leader in the locker room and on the floor.
As Zach Lowe pointed out on his podcast, there was a moment in the Bulls’ most recent game against the Philadelphia 76ers where Butler called out Cristiano Felicio for allowing an easy Robert Covington layup. After the basket Butler was in Felicio’s face, pointing and saying, “That’s you.”
One of the concerns about the leadership in Chicago’s locker room is that it skews too negative. Lowe brings up that Butler could, or maybe should, have waited until a timeout to talk to Felicio instead of embarrassing him in public.
Butler is still learning how to be a leader, and its part of the reason Dwyane Wade was brought to the Bulls. That doesn’t appear to be working well. Calling out young teammates and alienating them is not exactly leadership material.
Alongside this, Wade’s on-court leadership is questionable. Watch any Bulls game and you’ll see him lallygagging back on defense after not getting a call he wanted. Again, not setting a high standard.
Friedell goes on to point out that there appear to be two separate groups in Chicago’s locker room: Jimmy and D-Wade, and everyone else.
Some of this could be attributed to the lacking roster that surrounds them, but aren’t leaders supposed to rise above? Wade’s carried subpar casts before, which is why I was surprised by his comments after the Atlanta Hawks game.
Friedell says that Gar Forman and John Paxson have shied away from openly saying Butler is their guy. That has to irk Butler to no end.
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Compounding that are the rumors from last year’s draft that the Bulls were trying to move him.
Butler seems to excel at leading by example. He scratched and clawed his way into becoming a top player in the league. That work ethic is something the young guys can look up to and emulate. It’s entirely possible he may not be fit to be the vocal leader the front office wants him to be.
But what is the front office doing if they don’t believe in Butler? I mean obviously no one understands what GarPax are trying to do. They sign Rajon Rondo and Wade after saying they want to get younger and more athletic. Both of those players are taking serious minutes away from more athletic, and you guessed it, younger players.
Maybe the way to go is to blow it all up and hit restart. Maybe the move is keeping Butler, dropping Wade and Rondo and then seeing what the young guys can do. One thing is clear though: Chicago needs a plan, and they need it ASAP.