Jimmy Butler: Bulls need new coach Fred Hoiberg to push harder

[Tr1boy]

Never heard a player say this before.

Let's try to trade for this guy.  Can you imagine - Crowder, Butler, AB, Smart defensive unit?

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/14403996/jimmy-butler-says-chicago-bulls-coached-lot-harder-fred-hoiberg

[BudweiserCeltic]

Very hard to envision the Bulls trading Butler to us. Butler can be used to get much more value (in talent) than we're able to give. And with Rose in a downward spiral, hard to trade their best player, who's still young, and can play both sides of the floor.

[littleteapot]

I think after Thibs Ulysses S. Grant would seem like a softie.

[Tr1boy]

Very hard to envision the Bulls trading Butler to us. Butler can be used to get much more value (in talent) than we're able to give. And with Rose in a downward spiral, hard to trade their best player, who's still young, and can play both sides of the floor.

If they are on a downward spiral we have the assets to get Butler. He would be an awesome Celtic

All that money he has received recently, It doesn't matter, he wants to win badly.  This is a true professional player with great ambitions

[BudweiserCeltic]

Very hard to envision the Bulls trading Butler to us. Butler can be used to get much more value (in talent) than we're able to give. And with Rose in a downward spiral, hard to trade their best player, who's still young, and can play both sides of the floor.

If they are on a downward spiral we have the assets to get Butler. He would be an awesome Celtic

All that money he has received recently, It doesn't matter, he wants to win badly.  This is a true professional player with great ambitions

I said Rose, not them.

[csfansince60s]

Hard to figure out the status and hence the direction/intentions of this franchise.

Rumors in the past few weeks of Noah/Gibson/Gasol being on the block so Portis can get more time. Rose's injury history making his contract value questionable.

I can see them building around Butler/Portis/Mirotic/Snell/McDermott. Gibson could get them something. Still only 30 and on a decent deal. Noah is expiring. Gasol has a player option, that barring injury, he will probably opt out of.

Giving up Butler hurts them both for the competing now and building for the future strategies. Really don't think that they can go that route. Should be an interesting trade deadline lead-up for the Bulls.

[hpantazo]

There's absolutely no reason for the Bulls to trade Butler. None. Zero. He's their best building block by far, a good teammate, and is not asking for a trade. He is asking for other guys to be held to standards (i.e. Rose, Noah, Gasol most likely) because he cares about the team and about winning. He also was respectful enough to include himself in the players that need to be held accountable, and not mention names of other players. The Bulls are not trading Butler, if Celtics fans want a Bulls trade, then chose from Noah, Gasol, or Rose.

[Who]

Bad sign for Fred Hoiberg. When players start complaining about coaches not pushing them hard enough, the coach usually ends up getting fired sometime in the near future.

[chambers]

I think the Bulls had no choice but to give Jimmy Butler the max, and that was so they could keep him OR have a major asset to trade if Rose didn't return to being the superstar he was (which looks unlikely).

Their first option would be to keep him and build around him in free agency.
Actually the first option would be to get a new coach, whilst trying to build around Jimmy.

I think Jimmy Butler is the kind of guy that could demand a trade out of frustration and as long as Rose is there, the frustration is likely going to continue.
Rose doesn't expire until the end of next season- that's a long time for Jimmy to stew.

Chances he's traded? maybe 10-15%.
Not likely but there's a real problem when your star calls out the coach publicly like that.

[chambers]

There is some serious anti Butler sentiment in Chicago from the fans and the front office.

Their RealGM forum topic is going nuts about it....sounds like he's been unhappy for a while now...

http://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1418842&p=45418229#p45418229

[chambers]

Calling out Fred Hoiberg is a bad look for Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Butler and Fred Hoiberg met Sunday and had what one person described as "a good talk." That they conversed at all says a lot about both men.

For Butler, it meant he went to the Bulls' practice facility on an off day after playing 89 minutes in back-to-back games. For Hoiberg, it meant he continued the theme of communication he has cited as critical to building truEdited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline.l relationships with players, a process started in the offseason when he traveled to visit all players.

Debating whether Butler calling out Hoiberg fits with his publicly stated goal to be a more vocal leader — as an aside, it's more harmful than helpful — misses larger issues.

Namely: How is Hoiberg going to handle the issue in the team context? And will management make any changes to a roster that is exhibiting some of the same signs of inconsistency and energy issues as last season?

Butler is in the first year of a $92.3 million deal that will last at least four seasons, five if he picks up his option. Hoiberg also signed a five-year deal. So neither Butler nor Hoiberg is going anywhere for reasons beyond the fact management is happy with the work of both.

Butler's claim that Hoiberg needs to "coach a lot harder" and "has to hold everyone accountable" contrasts sharply with Derrick Rose saying he never questions the coach after getting benched for Kirk Hinrich. It also presents an opportunity for Hoiberg, who absolutely should address Butler's comments in front of the team and air all grievances.

Otherwise, Butler's progression from "just a kid from Tomball, Texas" to self-proclaimed team leader will continue unchecked.

It's a good thing Butler included himself in the group of players Hoiberg needs to hold accountable. Internally, there is some consternation over Butler's emboldened state spilling into selfishness, not to mention puzzlement over his hesitancy to fully embrace Hoiberg's offense.

What would seemingly be an ideal fit for a player as mobile and athletic as Butler has instead led to Butler going to Hoiberg early this season and talking about the need for more touches in the mid-post and on isolations, sources said. When Hoiberg recently confirmed Doug McDermott's assertion that the Bulls started running sets that worked last year, calling plays for Butler was one of the changes.

Furthermore, according to sources, Butler used profanity while addressing the coaching staff once and disrupted a film session on another occasion with critical comments. While those defending Butler say such instances stem from his frustration that few players match his work ethic, his habit of warming up on his own has alienated others to the point that Joakim Noah recently talked to Butler, a source said.

Butler wants to win and has shown positive leadership in the past, for example when he invited McDermott to work out with him last summer.

Butler thrived in a featured role in Tom Thibodeau's isolation-heavy offense. Butler is at least one player who still talks to the former coach, according to several sources.

But issues similar to those that Butler fingered Saturday also plagued the Bulls in Thibodeau's final season. And nobody questioned Thibodeau's coaching chops, other than perhaps a management team whose relationship with him had badly frayed.

Butler is playing at an All-Star level for the second straight season. His tireless work ethic and strong two-way play make him a critical component for the Bulls' overall success. The need is for him to do so within the team concept.

Butler didn't specify which players weren't following the game plan. One person close to Butler said the comments weren't directed at Rose.

But it's clear the Bulls have struggled to fully establish their new identity under Hoiberg as players including Tony Snell, Nikola Mirotic and McDermott have assumed larger roles. It's unlikely general manager Gar Forman or executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson would cut bait on a roster they called championship-caliber.

But something needs to change, whether it's attitude, energy or personnel.

kcjohnson@tribpub.com

Twitter@kcjhoop