Report: Jimmy Butler hurting Chicago Bulls locker room

According to a report, many inside the Chicago Bulls are wondering if Jimmy Butler can be the leader the team needs.

The Chicago Bulls are woefully under-performing in 2015, after the team was supposed to take off under new head coach Fred Hoiberg. The team is struggling to find chemistry on the court, as they are just battling to be a playoff team in a resurgent Eastern Conference.

Their big re-signing in the off-season was Jimmy Butler, who is having another fantastic season for the Bulls.

However, Butler has been critical of his brand new head coach already and according to Nick Friedell of ESPN, many in the Bulls organization are concerned about whether or not he can be the leader that the team needs.

"I don’t think that the tension between Jimmy and Derrick was ever as bad as it was made out to be. But the tension now, moving forward off the Derrick talk for a second, between Jimmy and other players in that locker room is bad.Because you can’t just say, “I signed this new deal. I’m the leader.” That respect has to be earned over time. Nobody is questioning Jimmy’s work ethic. He’s worked his tail off. But they are questioning whether Jimmy can be the leader that this group needs with so much turmoil going on around them.I don’t think that the tension between Jimmy and Derrick was ever as bad as it was made out to be. But the tension now, moving forward off the Derrick talk for a second, between Jimmy and other players in that locker room is bad.Because you can’t just say, “I signed this new deal. I’m the leader.” That respect has to be earned over time. Nobody is questioning Jimmy’s work ethic. He’s worked his tail off. But they are questioning whether Jimmy can be the leader that this group needs with so much turmoil going on around them."

Friedell also goes on to say that the Bulls are also concerned that Butler has changed his personality after signing his new deal, and no longer is the quiet humble player that evolved into one of the superstars of the league.

"You talk to anybody within that Bulls organization, and they’ll tell you that Jimmy has changed. His personality has changed.And it’s not to say he’s wrong in that.But this was a kid that loved saying he was from Tomball, Texas and that he was just a role player on a really good team. And now he wants all the trappings that come with being a star in the league.You talk to anybody within that Bulls organization, and they’ll tell you that Jimmy has changed. His personality has changed.And it’s not to say he’s wrong in that.But this was a kid that loved saying he was from Tomball, Texas and that he was just a role player on a really good team. And now he wants all the trappings that come with being a star in the league."

A basketball player in the NBA changing after their first big contract and becoming one of the stars of the league is nothing new.

It’s just that the Bulls are getting worse and not any better, which means that people aren’t going to be seeing how great their young star is playing, but rather seeing a young superstar that isn’t helping his team pick up wins.

A big contract brings about a lot of expectations. In Chicago, their has to be success on the court, otherwise everyone is held accountable. Butler has his money and his big deal now, which has everyone putting expectations on him to lead this team to that next level.

The problem is that despite his good play, the Bulls aren’t any better and he isn’t establishing himself as a leader of that team. At the same time, it’s also important to remember that Butler is still a young player in this league and it’s going to take time for him to earn respect around the league as a leader.

It’s one thing to be a superstar, but it’s another to be a leader on the court.

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