If you look closely, you can pinpoint the two-year period when the Chicago Bulls were Jimmy Butler's team as opposed to Derrick Rose's. During that time, both players had to fend off rumors of Rose's displeasure with that reality.
Through it all, the point guard said Butler is, by far, the most talented teammate he's played with.
"For sure," Rose told ESPN's Nick Friedell. "And you still don't know, nobody still knows how good he could become."
Since Dec. 16, Butler has averaged just over 24 points and 5.4 assists on 47 percent shooting. On the other hand, the oft-injured Rose has struggled at times this season, although he did post one of his better outings in Monday's loss to the Washington Wizards.
Rose said the growth he's seen in Butler - going back to his arrival with the Bulls in 2011 - has been impressive.
"It's about just growing up, you know? He's a young guy," said Rose, who is actually only 11 months older than Butler. "I remember Jimmy played (junior college) with my assistant, my best friend, so I remember when he was coming to the team ... just to his growth, you know what I mean? From there to where he is right now, he's a player that I've been looking for.
"So I know in the heat of the battle he's going to be there."
Rose also talked about tuning out the noise amid a feeling some have that the prodigal son's days in his hometown of Chicago are numbered.
"I can't get mad about people's opinions," Rose said. "And whatever they say and think don't affect my life. I don't live in that world where I'm on social media ... so it's like I hear stuff by word of mouth a couple of days after so it never gets to me."
Despite his challenges - a career-low 14.9 points per game and the second-worst PER of his seven seasons - he says he likes himself better as a player.
"I think that my IQ level grew as a player ... I'm waiting for the game to come to me," Rose said.
"I live a great life. I can't complain. We're winning games. I'm healthy, my family's good and there's nothing I can really complain about."
