NBA Rumors: Chicago Bulls' Derrick Rose Leader No More, Jimmy Butler Steps In, Rules Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah team

By Mitch de Leon
Derrick Rose
Chicago Bulls Derrick Rose opted out of the USA Basketball Team training camp, which could have had him working with other NBA stars like LeBron James and Stephen Curry. Wikimedia Commons/Keith Allison

The Chicago Bulls have been struggling to form a team formidable enough to take on the NBA heavyweights this regular season. With the Cleveland Cavaliers gearing up for an aggressive run this time around, courtesy of a highly energized LeBron James and a returning Kevin Love, the basketball squad of Derrick Rose, Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah and Jimmy Butler are in for a challenging run for the championship title.

Moreover, the Golden State Warriors' move of barely touching its basketball roster this year indicates that the team intends to replicate the NBA season that saw Stephen Curry take home the MVP award.

While gameplay and strategies should be the focus of the Chicago Bulls this NBA season, it looks like a more pressing matter might need the attention of the team: the rumored clash between two basketball stars in the group.

Throughout the NBA offseason, speculations on the brewing antipathy between Chicago Bulls vet Derrick Rose and up and coming basketball star Jimmy Butler have been hounding the team. Fans and followers of the Chicago Bulls point out that the aggression between the two stars might have started when Jimmy Butler took over the leadership role when Derrick Rose incurred injuries last NBA season.

With Derrick Rose out of the picture, the Chicago Bulls needed a leader who would call the shots and direct everyone in the hardwood court - a challenge that Jimmy Butler readily accepted and actually excelled at. The return of Derrick Rose, however, now poses a problematic situation for the Chicago Bulls as the NBA vet undoubtedly wants the position back. For his part, Jimmy Butler appears to be hesitant on simply relinquishing his newfound authority to the older Chicago Bulls star.

"When Michael [Jordan] played here, that was another great example of a guy that just pulled everyone with him," Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg said, referring to the work ethic and determination of Jimmy Butler and how these qualities are translating to the entire basketball team, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The Chicago Bulls coach went on to share, "And Jimmy wants that. He wants to assume that role with leadership, getting guys with him."

For his part, Jimmy Butler acknowledges his new role as a leader in the Chicago Bulls roster. While he had been with the NBA team for several seasons by now, Jimmy Butler only started to gain attention last season when picked up where Derrick Rose left off. The rising Chicago Bulls star said, ""It's something I have to do if I want to try and take this team to the next step, the next level.'' Jimmy Butler added, "Obviously, the ultimate goal is a championship, but I got to bring something new every year. And I just think that leadership this year is key because I've been going so hard in practice."

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