5 reasons why Jimmy Butler is an MVP candidate
By Kareem Gantt
Here are five reasons why we think Jimmy Butler is an MVP candidate.
Jimmy Butler was never meant to be “the man” in Chicago.
That title was supposed to be Derrick Rose, the Bulls’ hometown hero. But when Rose couldn’t shake the injury bug, Butler was thrust into the role of being the man that the Chicago Bulls pinned their hopes on.
To his great credit, Butler has taken the job in stride and has even begun to embrace the role of being “the man” and carrying the Bulls on his shoulders. Even with the addition of Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo, two players who are bound to head to the Hall of Fame, Butler has continued to take the reigns of being the Bulls go-to player.
He is one of a special breed of players that can hurt you on both ends of the court. Butler is one of the NBA’s best one-on-one defenders, and on offense, he is one of the league’s most versatile, displaying all-around offensive skills similar to the San Antonio Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard.
With the Bulls now back in the thick of things in the Eastern Conference, the talk of Butler being a dark horse MVP candidate is getting more than a few rumblings. In actuality, if the Bulls manage to make a run for the NBA crown this year, then Butler should get some MVP votes, and here are five reasons why.