Jimmy Butler on Rose: 'I don't think either one of us is going anywhere'
Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler talked about his chemistry with Derrick Rose.
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2 min read
Chicago Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler has already addressed the rumors about a rift with Derrick Rose, but the story isn't going away. In an interview with ESPN 1000's "The Waddle and Silvy Show," Butler reiterated that he didn't think it would be a discussion if the Bulls had performed better in the playoffs.
"I think we're fine," he said. "I mean, it's the offseason, so guys go their separate ways, but so far, so good. That's what I have on that. Like I said earlier, it's just stuff that comes up whenever we don't win. If we win, nobody's talking about it, everybody's celebrating. Since we lost the way that we did, you gotta blame it on something.
Butler was then asked whether or not he and Rose can have chemistry.
"Yeah," Butler said. "I think we can, I think we will and I think we better because the way I look at it, I don't think either one of us is going anywhere anytime soon."
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone's Seerat Sohi, Butler said the two of them were "fine" and "I have a lot of respect for the guy." This seems to be the theme lately, but a few months ago he supported Rose much more enthusiastically -- he said he often wanted to defend him, and called him "one of the better people that I've come to know" and "my brother." It's hard to say whether or not the two of them have had problems since then, but perhaps Rose needs to speak up, too.
Buter is right on one thing for sure: the two of them better get it together. These are the guys who will be making plays the vast majoriity of the time in Chicago, and they need to learn how to play off each other. Rose has always dominated the ball, and Butler can reasonably expect to keep getting more freedom to create. Balancing that might be tricky, which means things could get weird.
If the dynamic is indeed weird, it's worth noting that a whole lot has changed since Butler was the No. 30 pick in the draft and getting DNP-CDs. Rose was the undisputed franchise player then, and now Butler has a five-year, $90 million deal. New Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg's job is largely about making this talented team play better than the sum of its parts, and he's going to have to start in the backcourt. As Butler said, neither of them is about to be out of the picture.
