Jimmy Butler was not happy with his team following a 107-91 loss to the New York Knicks on Saturday, and he made that known after the game.
Butler, who scored just 12 points as the team shot 39.4 percent from the field, said he wants coach Fred Hoiberg to be harder on the players.
Here is Jimmy Butler calling out coach Fred Hoiberg after #Bulls' loss: pic.twitter.com/HBt7iRYM7q
— Chris Kuc (@ChrisKuc) December 20, 2015
Joakim Noah, who got his first start of the season and scored 21 points, disagreed with Butler:
Asked Joakim Noah if #Bulls could be coached harder: "Do I think that we can get coached harder? Naw."
— Chris Kuc (@ChrisKuc) December 20, 2015
There are some who feel that what Butler said is indicative of how the team feels about Hoiberg as a whole.
Jimmy Butler going public with something that's been whispered privately in Chicago: Bulls aren't connecting yet w/Hoiberg's easygoing style
— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) December 20, 2015
Does that mean they might actually miss Tom Thibodeau? That would be surprising given what was previously reported.
Even though Butler was frustrated and wants to see more from Hoiberg, he has to look at the situation. The Bulls lost a four overtime game the night before. They were bound to be sluggish and not at their best against the Knicks; that’s just natural.
Maybe Hoiberg needs to pick his spots about when he will be hard on his players and when he won’t, and jumping all over them less than 24 hours after a four overtime game probably isn’t the best idea.
