Butler struggles in comeback
After missing three games with a heel contusion, the Bulls were desperate to get their best player back on the court, but what they got left something to be desired.
Jimmy Butler looked off from start to finish. His drives weren’t as explosive, he didn’t seem to be getting to his spots as easily, and his decision-making was questionable several times throughout. Whether it was a pass that wasn’t open or a forced shot that didn’t have a prayer, Butler simply wasn’t himself. It should be noted that he still scored 20 points, but that’s small potatoes for this guy, as we’ve seen.
The nadir of the evening came in the fourth quarter when Butler fell to the floor after he and Eric Bledsoe collided. Bledsoe fell on top of the same heel that had kept Butler out of the previous three games, and, naturally, Butler was slow to get back up.
Butler sent to the bench, still rubbing that knee. It was a pretty nasty fall. pic.twitter.com/4eb4EL9Iyd
— Steph Noh (@StephNoh) February 11, 2017
It seemed as if Butler would be done for the night, and that was honestly kind of a relief. Chicago hadn’t looked engaged for most of the half, there was less than five minutes left of the game, and it just didn’t seem like they had a chance, even if they were only down 13. Not risking more missed games from Butler is clearly the smart move.
Jimmy had other plans.
After Denzel Valentine was already to check in for the star forward, Butler signaled to the bench that he would keep playing, even though he had yet to take a step without a limp at that point. It’s no secret that the power dynamics in Chicago aren’t normal, but Fred Hoiberg can’t let that happen. It’s not worth losing Butler for extended time so they can lose by six points instead of 18.
Sometimes, coaching a player hard means sitting them down when that’s the last thing they want.