The Bernstein Brief: Jimmy Butler Fails To Rise To Occasion
By Dan Bernstein--
CBSChicago.com senior columnist
(CBS) A true NBA star just doesn't let his team lose like that. Not at home, not coming off an unlikely win and not to a Miami Heat team that had lost four in a row, seven of its last eight and was missing two starters -- their point guard and center.
If Jimmy Butler wants to be what he purports to be, Monday night brought a perfect time and place to show it. Instead, the Bulls fell 89-84 at home to the Heat.
It was set up perfectly for him to carry the Bulls again on yet another typically lifeless night, even after only scoring seven points in the first half. Derrick Rose had already tapped out again with his latest twinge, so there would be no usual awkwardness of taking turns with the ball.
But Butler either couldn't or didn't want to, drifting through the second half while shooting 2-of-9 then and 5-of-15 overall. He took only three shots in the fourth quarter and missed all of them. He went to the foul line just once in a game-high 40 minutes of action.
It doesn't have to be 53 points like it was to lead them to an overtime win in Philly or the 40-point half that helped Chicago squeeze by Toronto. But five total baskets?
For Butler to be considered one of the league's best players, it absolutely has to be more than that.
Dan Bernstein is a co-host of 670 The Score's "Boers and Bernstein Show" in afternoon drive. You can follow him on Twitter @dan_bernstein and read more of his columns here.
