Bulls’ Butler says he doesn’t regret comments about Hoiberg

Within one minute of Bulls’ shoot-around concluding Monday morning, Jimmy Butler beelined from the court to a waiting group of reporters.

This report comes on the heels of Bulls star Jimmy Butler criticizing new coach Fred Hoiberg, telling reporters that Hoiberg needs to be harder on players. “But it is a new role for him”.

“I don’t mind those comments, ” big man Pau Gasol said, when asked about Butler declaring himself the leader throughout this season. He said he respects Hoiberg’s more casual nature, but that “when guys aren’t doing what they’re supposed to do, you’ve got to get on guys – myself included”. They are looking for someone to blame for the poor basketball they have played as of late. Butler admitted that going public with his criticism of Hoiberg wasn’t the best idea, and Hoiberg stressed the importance of open lines of communication.

“Yeah, you can’t hide the elephant in the room”, Butler said of the comments.

But, with Noah’s injury and seemingly no signs of improvement under the new staff, the question of when the Bulls will come around may get answered in a negative fashion. Butler will move on, and so will Hoiberg. That thing doesn’t look to be going away. Beyond that, it’s a collection of players for whom the much-coveted notion of continuity has crossed over into stagnation, and there’s nothing to suggest that will reverse course. Sure. Are there things that all of us can do better? “There’s no chemistry. I wouldn’t say it is fighting all the time or hatred or whatever”. “Not high school, not junior college, and not here. So I’m learning. It’s different, a lot goes into this and there’s good and bad”.

Butler said he may have been mistaken to air his feelings publicly and that he’s adjusting to being a leader on the team. “If we won we would not be saying this, but since we lost the way we did, that had something to do with it. If we are a veteran or young team, you still have to do your job”. “Talent-wise and guys constantly working their game”. It’s just, you stay in your corner, and I will stay in mine. Some people may like it, some people don’t. Us as a team has to handle that. “I think everybody knew what was going on today when we talked in the building”.

“I think so. I have to be”.

Butler was right about one thing: In demeanor and approach, Hoiberg is a complete 180 from his predecessor.

The Chicago Bulls were supposed to take the next step after parting ways with coach Tom Thibodeau in the offseason.

Thibodeau led the Bulls to the playoffs in each of those years, but as they fell in the second round of the playoffs last season against the Cleveland Cavaliers, his time with the team ended.

Hoiberg has been still trying to figure out his rotations and offensive sets.

Following back-to-back frustrating losses, the Bulls hope to pull together and avoid matching their longest skid Monday night by dealing the Brooklyn Nets a ninth straight road defeat. It’s the other responsibilities that will require trial and error before he can master. But for now, the Chicago Bulls will have to keep playing without him.