Jan. 08--The Bulls improved to 22-12 with their home victory over the Celtics. Here are three observations:
Jimmy Butler's ball-handling has become a weapon
Remember when the question centered on whether Butler could score consistently as a starter? A 20-points-per-game, All-Star berth and NBA's Most Improved Player award answered that.
This season's question centered on whether Butler could add to his offensive game. And Butler has, with an ability to score off ball screens and playmaking abilities that showcase his much improved ball-handling skills. Butler has back-to-back games with career-high-tying 10 assists.
"He's making the right decision it seems like every time," Derrick Rose said.
Pau Gasol is building another case to be an All-Star
A lot of early-season attention got focused on Gasol's poor pick-and-roll defense and rightfully so. But where would the Bulls' offense be without Gasol, who posted his 19th double-double against the Celtics and is averaging close to 21 points over his last 10 games?
Gasol never will be a mobile defender. And teams will punish him in the pick-and-roll again. But he is a solid rim protector, averaging a career-best 2.3 blocks, and defensive rebounding is a part of defense.
Gasol got voted into last season's All-Star as a starter in his first season in the Eastern Conference. He's fifth in the latest voting returns. But his recent play is making a case for him to perhaps land a coach's reserve pick if fans don't vote him in as a starter.
Fred Hoiberg shortened the rotation again
For the second straight game, the Bulls' coach only played nine players. That's a departure from Hoiberg's typical 10- and sometimes 11-man rotation. Aaron Brooks and E'Twaun Moore have been the odd players out in this current look, which undoubtedly will change again.
"We didn't go into that game saying they weren't going to play," Hoiberg said. "It was just the flow of the game. It's just being ready. I talked to them. They understand. They're ready to go when their name is called upon."
