Will Jimmy Butler join the Chicago Bulls roster for the team's opening game against New York Knicks on Wednesday night?
The shooting guard hurt his left thumb during the pre-season game against Charlotte Bobcats on Oct. 19. His health progress is being monitored every day. On Oct. 28, Butler started dribbling again using his left hand, yet Bull's head coach Tom Thibodeau is still unconvinced that he could join the team for the opening game.
The Bulls could be in trouble if Butler will not be 100 percent healthy for the Knicks game, as well as Friday's scheduled match with the Cleveland Cavaliers. His main task is to match the skills of Knicks' Carmelo Anthony and Cavs' LeBron James, which he is known to be very good at.
Reports say that Thibodeau could either tap Kirk Hinrich, Doug McDermott, or Mike Dunleavy to play against Anthony and James, but they are not as good as Butler. His defense is expected to help Bulls get a chance to be in the Playoffs this season.
Meanwhile, some critics believe that Pau Gasol is the odd man out in the Bulls' roster this season. According to Bleacher Report, the team already has a productive frontcourt pair in Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah, and rookie Nikola Mirotic can do wonders for the team. Gasol's presence may not be required that much in the roster.
However, Thibodeau believes that the Spanish basketball player has a lot to contribute to the roster.
He said, "There will be times when Pau may sit, Taj may sit, Jo may sit, they have to put the team first. When they're in there, do everything they can to help the team win, and when they're not in there cheer your teammates on, know what's going on in the game, be a great teammate. And we've always had great spirit here, and I think it goes back to the leadership of our main core guys that have been around."
Before he signed with the Bulls, the former LA Lakers power forward was offered contracts from other teams outside Chicago, including the Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Miami Heat, and San Antonio Spurs. However, he chose to play for the Windy City because he wants to "prioritized being on a championship-caliber team."
