First Round Pick Jimmy Butler A Perfect Fit For Bulls

It’s impossible to deny that last weekend’s NBA Draft was a weak one. That’s the truth. There was no consensus no. 1 overall pick and there were no “can’t miss” prospects in the lottery.

But it seems that contenders were able to add some pretty nice pieces in the draft. No one has any of them destined for stardom, yet, but the teams at the end of the first round look like they’ve added solid bench guys and role players. The Bulls are no exception to this trend.

They did add a nice looking European prospect in Nikola Mirotic, but since we won’t seen him again for a few years, the Bulls draft will, for now, be judged by the success of Jimmy Butler in an NBA uniform.

By now, we all know the story of Jimmy Butler, and what an incredible one it is. Kicked out by his mother than homeless at 13, Butler landed on the streets for four years before spending his senior year with a friend’s family that took him in. It was that family, the Lamberts, that convinced him to go to Marquette.

Butler spent his first year of school at a junior college, having not been heavily recruited out of high school. He was convinced to go to Marquette, not only because of the strong basketball tradition that the Golden Eagles carry, but the academics of the school as well.

It’s that type of fact and what his family has said about Butler and his character that have many already rooting for this guy as a fan favorite in Chicago, before he even steps foot on the United Center floor.

Beyond his character, Butler’s stats improved every year at Marquette. After playing his first year with the Golden Eagles as a sophomore, Butler’s minutes doubled, and his points per game nearly tripled. In his senior year, Butler averaged almost 16 points per game, which went along with his six rebounds.

The scouting reports on Butler all read pretty similar heading into last Thursday night’s draft. Overall, he’s a solid player, but where he really excels is on the defensive end. With a combination of his defensive skill and the effort he gives, Butler was a gem for a defensive team in this draft.

You could just read that paragraph and know that Butler is a perfect fit for the Bulls. With the defense-first philosophy that Tom Thibodeau brought to the table last year, you knew the Bulls wouldn’t look at a guy who was all offense, such as New Jersey Nets first round pick Marshon Brooks.

Butler is an outstanding perimeter defender, something that will go quite perfectly as the Bulls try and guard the Miami Heat’s combination of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, among the other top dogs of the NBA. Similar to other guys on the team, like Joakim Noah, Butler is lauded for the effort he puts in on the court, which appears to be endless to this point.

He’s also a kid of outstanding character, as we have already read and seen in his interviews since being drafted by the Bulls. He’s already won over the Bulls fans with his desire to stop Wade and James, and has already won over his point guard, Derrick Rose, as the two already met and got familiar with each other this week.

Butler should prove to be a key guy for the Bulls, whether the season starts in the fall of 2011 or beyond. He likely won’t start, but he shouldn’t have a problem finding his way into the rotation at some point. He could end up supplanting Ronnie Brewer at the two-guard when he does play, but he will also be able to spell Luol Deng, which was a rarity this season.

Overall, it will take a bit of time for Butler to adjust to the NBA game from college, but once he does that, Butler should prove to be a fantastic asset on defense for Tom Thibodeau and the Bulls this season.

2011 NBA Draft: Bulls First Round Wrap Up

As of right now, it looks like the Bulls have finished wheeling and dealing as the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft has come to a close.

With all the names being thrown around and as many trades that take place on Draft Day, no one was actually sure of who the Bulls would end up with when the first round was all wrapped up on Thursday night.

But, at least for now, two names have been selected by the Bulls, though one of those names we will not see for a bit.

Officially, the Bulls kept the 28th pick. With that pick, they selected Norris Cole out of Cleveland State. But the proposed trade would see them swap that pick of Cole, and the 43rd overall pick on Thursday, with the Minnesota Timberwolves to move up and acquire Nikola Mirotic.

Mirotic is a Spanish player, who plays for Real Madrid in Spain, though it’s not the Real Madrid that any of us are used to hearing about. Most of what analysts have said of the 20-year-old Mirotic has been positive, despite the drawbacks of having to wait for him, given that Mirotic signed a five-year extension this year to stay in Spain.

He has good size, standing 6’10″, and has flashed enormous potential as a basketball player. He was awarded the Euroleague Rising Star award with Real Madrid this past season, after stealing a starting spot and breaking out in his role in Europe.

He’s noted as having a quick release and a smooth shot, with the only real drawbacks being his tendency to lack in motivation and athleticism, which also needs improvement. Luckily for the Bulls, those are a couple of easy fixes. It looks like they may have gotten a steal, when he does finally make his way over the U.S.

But the story that Bulls fans will love in this draft is that of Jimmy Butler, the Bulls 30th overall selection out of Marquette.

Many will compare Butler’s story to that of Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman Michael Oher, in that like Oher’s story, which the film The Blindside was based off of, Butler was virtually homeless before being taken in by a more well-to-do family on a permanent basis. It was his new family (his biological mother kicked him out when he was 13) that convinced him to attend Marquette after a standout year at a junior college, mostly due to its academic reputation.

Butler was All-Big East honorable mention with the Golden Eagles in 2010-11, averaging almost 16 points and just a touch over six boards a game. He’s listed as a forward in most scouting reports, but at 6’7”, he could find his way into the rotation at shooting guard, as well as small forward for the Bulls.

At this point, it looks like the Bulls did well in their first round of the draft, and could be done for the night after trading that 43rd overall pick, once that ‘proposed’ deal becomes official. Stay tuned for more possible draft news, as well as deeper analysis of the Bulls’ two picks from the 2011 draft.

Report: Bulls Trade Up For Nikola Mirotic

As Bulls fans waited for the no. 28 pick in the first round of Thursday’s NBA draft, Chicago decided to make their wait a little bit shorter.

In a draft that has been lacking in trades, compared to its predecessors, the Bulls have reportedly made on of those few deals, trading up to the 23rd slot in the draft. With that pick, they selected Nikola Mirotic, out of Spain.

Mirotic is a highly-touted guy, which we will have more on later, but the real drawback with him is the fact that the Bulls will not get to see their reported pick in action right away. He still has four years left on his deal with his Spanish club, Real Madrid, meaning he won’t join the Bulls until 2015.

It’s not the first time the Bulls have drafted an import and had to wait, after they traded for Omer Asik in the 2008 NBA draft. That pick seemed to work out well for them.

The Bulls still have the 30th overall pick after reportedly dealing nos 28 and 43 in a three-way deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets.

More to come on this trade, Mirotic, and the Bulls’ second coming pick of the night.

Bulls Season In Review: Derrick Rose

Before the season began, Derrick Rose wondered why he couldn’t be the NBA MVP. Most scoffed at the idea and went right back to discussing names like LeBron James and Dwight Howard. But early on, it was clear that Rose’s question, which came across as arrogant to some, was a perfectly valid one.

Derrick Rose didn’t have a summer. After the Bulls were knocked out of last year’s playoffs, Rose went to work preparing to represent Team USA at the FIBA World Championships in Turkey. Rose may not have been the breakout start of the tournament (that was Kevin Durant), but he saw big minutes on the USA squad that cruised to the gold medal.

Literally the day the team returned from Turkey, Rose was back in the gym. Jetlag and all, Rose returned to begin working out and watching film with newly hired Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau.

It didn’t take long before Rose’s hard work turned into success on the statsheet, but more importantly, wins for the Bulls. Rose septn the tnrie regular season providing us with incredible body-twisting layups and highlight reel dunks not seen in Chicago since You-Know-Who.

All of Rose’s stats saw a jump in 2010-11. His PPG average jumped from 20 to well over 25 points per. His assists per game swelled to nearly eight a game and he also grabbed four boards per. Those numbers, those highlights, and those 62 Bulls wins culminated in Derrick Rose being named MVP of the league, beating out names like LeBron, Durant, and Dirk Nowitzki.

Rose began to show signs of wear in the postseason, but still proved to the world why he was named MVP. He will the Bulls through their first round series, with some spectacular fourth quarter performances. It was more of the same against Atlanta in the second round, before Rose ultimately succumbed to a top notch defensive team in the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.

What we can really chalk Derrick Rose’s performance in the Eastern Conference Finals up, along with great defense, is a lack of help. Though Rose’s body was beaten up by May, it’s unlikely even a healthy Rose would have been able to best that Miami defense by himself. Sure, he probably forced up too many bad shots, but no one else looked to be stepping up consistently as a second option.

Despite the incredible year that Rose had, the 22-year-old still has plenty of doubters. Many question the choice of Rose being named MVP and criticized his shot selection at the point guard spot. It’s definitely true that Rose still has growing up to do as a basketball player. It’s an over-used term, but he can only get better. With a work ethic like his and a coach, how could he not? If the Bulls land a second option on offense for Rose this summer, watch out MVP.

And as for those who said Rose was undeserving of such an honor, yes there were other guys that were worthy. It was almost a crap shoot this year for who could have been MVP. But you’d be hard-pressed to find a guy who willed his team to as many victories and provided the consistent, all-around game that Rose did this year, and will continue to build upon in the future.

Many have compared him to Allen Iverson after this season, claiming that he won the MVP out of shock and awe, rather than success. But with a better work ethic, better character, and a better base behind him, this is a kid who is going to be up for the award annually, just like the Chicago Bulls are now going to be considered a perennial championship contender.

Could The Bulls Swap Carlos Boozer For Golden State’s Monta Ellis?

You don’t need to be an NBA expert to know that Carlos Boozer‘s first season as a Bull can be labeled as a disappointment. The Bulls had hoped he would bring a strong scoring presence to the paint for Chicago when they signed him to a 5-year, $80 million deal last summer.

That never really happened. Boozer struggled to find offensive consistency and couldn’t maintain chemistry with his battery mate in the paint, Joakim Noah. His inconsistency really burned the Bulls in the postseason, when he disappeared on both ends of the court, and had many questioning whether or not Boozer was a good choice for the franchise.

Those questions weren’t new, though. When the Bulls signed Boozer, after missing out on the likes of free agent big men Amar’e Stoudemire and Chris Bosh, the questions about Boozer’s health and consistency were instantaneous. And he would prove both of those concerns to be valid over the course of his first season in the Windy City.

It’s because of those struggles in his one season that have left many wondering whether or not Boozer will be a Bull in the 2011-12 season (if there is a season). Despite the woes Boozer experienced this year, he did do some good things, which has left a rumored interest in him from some teams.

While many will hope one of those teams is Orlando, the Magic are reportedly interested in Boozer to pair with Dwight Howard, not to swap the two. But Orlando isn’t the only name that has popped up in these early-summer, and questionable, trade rumors. The Golden State Warriors are looking for a big man, and their biggest scoring threat just might be available.

While Warriors’ brass has shot down the rumors already, Monta Ellis‘ name has come up several times already this offseason, since the NBA finals ended just over a week ago. His name has come up in a possible deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, which would send Andre Iguodala to the Golden State.

But as ESPN’s Chris Broussard has already stated, the Bulls and Warriors have had talks about a possible deal at some point this summer. While that doesn’t mean much, given the fact that the Bulls may have simply inquired as to Ellis’ availability, it shows that the Bulls are serious about upgrading their lineup at the two-guard.

It’s pretty clear that the Bulls need a second scoring threat to pair with Derrick Rose. Boozer was a let down and Luol Deng isn’t a strong scoring presence. If the Bulls do upgrade their roster and find that scoring threat, it’s most likely going to be at shooting guard.

The 2010-11 season was the first season in which Ellis played 80 or more games, after playing just 89 combined the previous two seasons. He finished the season with just a touch over 24 points per game, to go along with the almost six dimes per.

Now if the Bulls are somehow able to pull off a deal for the 6′ 3″ shooting guard, it wouldn’t likely be a one-for-one swap with Boozer, as nice as that would be for the Bulls. Picks and role players could be involved in such a deal as well.

If the Bulls do deal for Ellis, the lineup would include he and Rose in the backcourt, Deng and Noah in their regular starting roles, and Taj Gibson likely moving into Boozer’s role, provided none of them get dealt as well.

At the end of the day, how likely is this trade to actually happen? Not very. The Warriors have been pretty adamant about not trading Ellis, and while honesty in regard to something like that is something rare in today’s sports world, the Bulls would likely have to give up a lot more than Boozer to get Ellis, and that’s something that Gar Forman and co. seem unlikely to do.

This Bulls squad isn’t in need of a facelift, it simply needs some tweaks. If they are able to unload Boozer for a two-guard anywhere near Ellis’ caliber, which would move Gibson in the starting role he has appeared to earn, then it would be the right deal. But until the right deal comes along for both sides, which would require the Bulls to move the minimum amount of players on their current roster, while also upgrading at the two, I doubt that make a Ellis-caliber splash.

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