Jimmy Butler Believes Bulls' Turnaround Starts With Himself
(CBS) While the Bucks have grabbed attention league-wide by rallying from a 3-0 series deficit against the Bulls with two straight wins that have forced a Game 6 in their Eastern Conference first-round series on Thursday in Milwaukee, it's certainly no time for panic in Chicago.
Bulls wing Jimmy Butler knows this. He also knows something else -- to get rid of the underdog Bucks, he has to step up and lead the way.
"I don't think I'm the type of player that should shoot 5-for-21," Butler said, referencing his abysmal shooting night in a Game 5 loss in which he had 20 points. "I have to be a better leader. I'm shying back in some aspects of the game, and that can't happen because I'm in a completely different role than I was the last few years. And I think this team looks to me to score, to facilitate and to lead emotionally and mentally. And I didn't do that. I can't let that happen, so it will be changed."
Butler was brilliant in the first four games of the series, averaging 28.3 points on 54 percent shooting. He believes he needs to get back to that sort of performance as the Bucks continue to run double-teams at big man Pau Gasol and blitz point guard Derrick Rose on pick-and-rolls. Butler was far from the only Bull who struggled in Game 5, as Chicago shot just 34 percent and Rose was 5-of-20 from the field.
Still, Butler wants the responsibility on his shoulders.
"Be the person to get us going on both ends of the floor," Butler said of his role. "Especially on the defensive end. I'm supposed to be the one setting the tone. Like I said, I haven't done that. That's the reason we've gotten off to slow starts.
"That's what you want as a leader," Butler said of the pressure. "You want to do right and hope that your teammates follow. I'm good with that. I'm going to lead."
Game 6 is Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Bradley Center. The Bulls will have a completely healthy squad to get the job done, as Wednesday evening they sent out the rarely seen injury report that was blank.
No one in NBA history has ever rallied from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series.
"We know what we have to do," Butler said. "We obviously don't want to make history in the wrong way. But I think we'll be fine."