Jimmy Butler (knee) is "feeling a lot better"

Butler (knee) is "feeling a lot better," according to coach Fred Hoiberg, the Chicago Tribune reports. "Jimmy is receiving treatment back home," Hoiberg said Monday morning. "He feels better. We still don't have a timeframe on everything but the important thing is he's feeling a lot better than he was a couple of days ago. He still has a lot of soreness in there. I would doubt he would play Wednesday but then we'll kind of make a determination from there."

Analysis:

Butler strained his left knee during Friday's game against the Nuggets, but the injury is considered relatively minor, despite the fact that Butler was taken off the court in a wheelchair. It certainly would not be a surprise if Butler is held out Wednesday night, particularly with the All-Star break, and the rest it brings, looming, but given Butler's history as one of the league's toughest players it would be foolish to rule him out two days in advance. If Butler ultimately sits out Wednesday, his status for Sunday's All-Star Game could be in jeopardy, in which case a replacement player may need to be selected for the Eastern Conference squad.