The Chicago Bulls need to pray hard for a possible playoff spot but with seven games to go, their chances are not looking so hot. Jimmy Butler is back in harness after missing some games due to injury but the task becomes all the more harder with big men out of the rotation.

Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler are around but the absence of Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol crucial losses for the boys of first-year coach Fred Hoiberg.

With a depleted lineup, the Bulls can still make it through the slight door opening but will need some help by praying the Detroit Pistons and/or the Indiana Pacers drop some of their remaining matches.

Of the two, the Bulls could sneak past the Pacers since they are only a game behind.

Can Butler Prove His Worth?

After last season, Butler was someone that the Bulls saw rise. His tenure was in question particularly because it was expected that he would seek a lucrative contract. And just when other teams were planning on luring the 26-year-old player out of Chicago, the Bulls offer him a $95 million contract for five years.

The contract is larger than what Derrick Rose currently holds and includes a player option in the fourth year. And as one would expect, it would have been foolish to think that Butler would walk out on such a generous offer.

Butler is proving that the Bulls are getting their money’s worth. With Butler and Rose in the backcourt plus the bruising frontline the season should have been at least a repeat of their performance last season.

The only change was the man calling the shots. Hoiberg took over from Tom Thibodeau who didn’t exactly have a smooth working relationship with the Bulls top brass. Unlike last year, the Bulls are struggling to make it to the playoffs despite having practically the same lineup they had from last season.

The season may not all be lost for the Bulls but this early, Butler has been the subject of possible trade rumors in the Summer. Though it doesn’t make much sense after the signing him up last season, the fact is the new look Bulls under Hoiberg didn’t exactly pan out as expected.

The tricky part here is that Butler now holds a pretty expensive contract on his end. If a trade materializes, it may include an equally expensive and high profile player or multiple names to consummate.

There could be at least two teams the Bulls could deal with – the Boston Celtics or the Orlando Magic. The Celtics reportedly tried to trade for Butler last February while the Magic may be pulling some strings together.

Should they succeed, Butler could be the franchise player to improve their chances. Both teams have good young stars and adding a rising player in Butler could be what the doctor ordered.

Related