When a team isn’t winning, there are bound to be disagreements among players and staff alike. It has been well publicized that Jimmy Butler and D. Rose are not the best of friends and recently, Jimmy talked about attempting to work things out.
I imagine that with all the time D. Rose spent sitting out and missing games due to injury, Jimmy Butler was loving his new found role as the priority option once he had breakout. Growing accustomed to that lifestyle and then having to transition slightly back to due to D. Rose returning was, without question, a tough pill to swallow.
In recent months, it has been known that Jimmy and Derrick did not have the best relationship and following the loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference playoffs–the rival team–tensions were even higher. Previously, Jimmy Butler was heard saying that he and Derrick did not need to like each other to play together and that they see enough of each other on the court, so there is no reason to have a relationship off the court. That statement in of itself speaks volumes about the rift between the two players.
As of now, it doesn’t look like the two players have made any progress in bettering their relationship but according to Jimmy, a change will soon come. “I think we will. And I think we better, because the way I look at it, I don’t think either one of us is going anywhere anytime soon,” Jimmy said about the future for he and D. Rose; and he is definitely right because, Derrick is a franchise player in Chicago who doesn’t look like he wants to leave and Jimmy just signed a five year deal.
Jimmy also spoke on people amping the situation between him and Derrick after the playoff loss saying, “We didn’t win. That it. When you don’t win, somebody’s got to find something to blame it on.” I definitely understand where he is coming from with that statement because, watching the playoffs, it was evident that it wasn’t he and Derrick’s differences that caused the loss.
This upcoming NBA season will be interesting to watch in Chicago; and although they tend to keep team issues within their circle, the fact that rift is well known will definitely have many reports focusing on team chemistry.
