Rookie beats odds to win Thibodeau's confidence

Bulls fans were asking constantly when the promising small forward would see more game action.

Didn't coach Tom Thibodeau realize he needed a capable substitute to help keep Luol Deng's minutes down and another athletic body to throw at LeBron James in the playoffs?

Well, Thibodeau never came around and James Johnson was traded to Toronto.

That happened last season, obviously. The storyline repeated itself this year, though, with the arrival of rookie Jimmy Butler.

While Deng's minutes soared, Butler stayed glued to the bench. Even when Deng was sidelined with a torn ligament in his left wrist on Jan. 21, Butler didn't play at all in the next game. He also didn't see action against Miami last Sunday.

The answer seemed obvious and predictable: Thibodeau's 20 years in the NBA taught him not to trust rookies. Or inconsistent second-year players such as Johnson.

Then, all of a sudden, there was a Butler breakthrough.

Late in Thursday's 105-102 victory at New York, Thibodeau had so much confidence in Butler, he sent the rookie onto the floor in the fourth quarter, on national TV, at Madison Square Garden, to defend Knicks star Carmelo Anthony.

“It felt good,” Butler told reporters after the game. “I think it felt even better to know that the coaching staff believed in me and my teammates believed in me to take on a matchup like that. So that definitely boosted my confidence and I just went out there and played hard.”

It was funny to hear TNT analyst Reggie Miller gush about the confidence Thibodeau had in Butler. Reg, that confidence didn't seem to exist 30 minutes earlier.

The decision worked brilliantly, though. Except for a couple of situational substitutions in the final seconds, Butler played the entire fourth quarter and helped limit Anthony to 1-of-6 shooting.

After the game, Thibodeau talked as though Butler has been a valuable member of the playing rotation all along.

“We love his attitude and approach and the way he works every day, his demeanor,” Thibodeau said. “We know he's going to get better and better. The hard thing for him is right now, we're not practicing. He's doing a lot of individual work with the assistant coaches.”

Coming out of Marquette, the consensus description of Butler was an aggressive defender who needs to develop an offensive move or two.

But here's a developing opinion: Butler, 22, has more maturity than most NBA rookies. He spent three years at Marquette, one at Tyler (Tex.) Junior College, and the story of how he was kicked out of his house as a young teenager in Tomball, Tex., has been well-chronicled.

Butler is also a willing role player. He's not one of those draft picks with athletic potential and aspirations of becoming a 20-point scorer, which may have fit Johnson and another ex-Bull, Tyrus Thomas.

Butler is focused on the job the Bulls need him to do — play defense first and become a good enough shooter to make teams pay for double-teams.

The shooting part was also successful in New York. He drained a 17-foot jumper with 1:07 left that gave the Bulls a 101-96 lead. As Butler told the story later, his teammates talked him into letting it fly.

“When I walked over to the bench, Lu was like, ‘Shoot the ball!' Lu always says good things happen when you shoot the ball,” Butler said, according to bulls.com. “The first one I missed, but Booz (Carlos Boozer) got the rebound and scored.”

The Boozer putback gave the Bulls a 99-92 lead with 3:38 remaining. The Knicks had closed within 99-96 when Butler set a screen for Derrick Rose, caught a pass on the pick-and-roll and had a clear look at the basket from the left wing.

“I don't want to miss and they go down and make a layup,” Butler said. “But I know I can make that shot. Derrick's told me plenty of times, ‘Don't worry. Shoot the ball. The easy play is not always to put the ball on the ground. Sometimes it's to shoot.'”

It's possible Deng will return to the court Saturday at Milwaukee. But with all the injuries the Bulls have endured, getting Butler ready to play important minutes could be helpful down the road.

Rose reveals new shoe:For all the sneaker enthusiasts out there, Derrick Rose unveiled a new style of his Adidas shoes Thursday in New York.This one is named #8220;Brenda,#8221; after Rose's mom. It's mostly red, with a black heel and has a softer texture than his most recent models. It will be available in stores on Feb. 9.Rose's All-Star Game shoes will be similar to the #8220;Brenda#8221; model, but colored orange in tribute to Orlando and Florida, hosts of this year's contest.