March 20--Maybe "60 Minutes" should do a piece on the Bulls' latest flare-up.
Only the show should be called "32 Minutes."
After coach Tom Thibodeau revealed that Joakim Noah did not play down the stretch Sunday in Oklahoma City because of a 32-minute restriction, some national media members ripped Bulls management on Twitter.
Forward Pau Gasol weighed in Friday, saying he seeds both sides.'
"Coaching and managing a team is a challenging job," he said, "and everything looks easier from the outside. We all have an opinion on how we would do things, but that's not our job. I think it is made into a little bit of a bigger issue than it needs to be."
That said, Gasol understands the root of the issue, noting that people believe Jimmy Butler was gassed in the playoffs after averaging 38.7 minutes in the regular season.
"I think last year was a big deal because he didn't (have) a lot of energy down the stretch and in the playoffs he was a little bit out of gas, from what I've heard," he said. "Not that I watched much. It was a tough year for me, so I was already disconnected. But I think this year it won't be the case, it won't be an issue.
"Jimmy is getting this big (injury) break, so he should be fresh and ready to face the last part of the season at full strength."
Butler is averaging 38.9 minutes but will miss his 15th game of the season tonight against the Raptors with a left elbow injury.
tgreenstein@tribpub.com
