Jimmy Butler back with Bulls following 1-game absence
The breakout star of the first half of the 2014-15 NBA season is ready to pick up where he left off.
The Chicago Bulls will have shooting guard Jimmy Butler back in the lineup when they take on the Houston Rockets at home Monday. Butler had missed the team's game Saturday, as he was on bereavement leave.
The Bulls hung tough without Butler against the Boston Celtics, but the Rockets - and fellow early MVP candidate James Harden - pose a much larger threat. Butler will almost surely draw that assignment for the bulk of the game, giving him a marquee opportunity to put his All-World defense on display.
That's long been a staple for the Marquette product, but it's his offense that has drawn attention in his fourth season. In 31 games, Butler is averaging 21.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists, shooting 48.3 percent from the floor with a robust 22.4 player efficiency rating.
A season ago, Butler's shot looked broken and his dribble-drive game underdeveloped. Now, he's emerged as a legitimate second option after Derrick Rose and a true two-way star. It sure makes him look wise for eschewing a contract extension this fall and betting on himself instead.