Bulls and NBA fans alike have rejoiced over what many hope to be the long-awaited return of Derrick Rose. That is, the REAL Derrick Rose. In the month of December, he's put up 19.8 points per game on 45.5 percent shooting from the field. More importantly, he's playing without fear again. He's playing like Derrick Rose.
Eventually, the hope was Rose would re-emerge into the NBA's group of elite one way or another. The best part of Rose's revival: He doesn't have to play like an MVP every night for the Bulls to be the best team in the East. In his absence, Joakim Noah has turned into one of the most complete centers in the NBA, they upgraded from Carlos Boozer to Pau Gasol, and Taj Gibson has continued to Taj Gibson every bench unit in the NBA.
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But that's not all. Arguably, the least-discussed faction of the Bulls may also be the team's most important. The lack of depth at the wing positions, especially with Doug McDermott's injury, makes its starting unit's competence that much more important. And boy, are they competent. The Bulls' starting wing unit features one of the most complete players in the NBA. He stands next to one of the most effective shooters in the NBA. Together, they help round out the Chicago Bulls' balanced, dangerous attack.
At this point, it's hard to call a group that includes Jimmy Butler unheralded. Steadily, he has gone from a staunch perimeter defender to an all-around stud, and a strong favorite to win the Most Improved Player award in 2015.
It became clear by his second year that Butler was going to be a mainstay as a starter to some capacity. After an up and down 2013-14 season, he has taken off, improving his shooting from the field by nearly 10 percent overall. To the pleasure of head coach Tom Thibodeau and the rest of the Bulls' staff, Butler has continued his style of play, even with ball-dominant Rose's return to prominence.
Butler has always been the type to score the ball all over the court. His downfall early was his outside shooting. While it's still far from a finished product, his midrange jumper has improved tremendously. At this point, he remains one of the few players in the NBA who chooses to embrace his midrange ability. He's also an improved finisher around the rim. As he healed from a college knee injury, his spring has started to re-emerge with the rest of his game.
Mike Dunleavy is no super athlete. He isn't on his way to any All Star games, and he certainly isn't receiving any newfound consideration for the MVP award. But Dunleavy is still important. Besides the occasional cut to the hoop, you'll rarely see him finish at the rim. For the most part, his bread and butter is catching and shooting off passes from Rose, or, say, Butler.
Dunleavy has put up a similar frame of production since his second year in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors. With the exception of a couple years where he played on bad teams and was forced to do more than his game is made for, Dunleavy has been a staple of consistency at his position.
Not only is Dunleavy a reliable midrange jump shooter, he's also a career 37 percent 3-point shooter. He's a beast from both corners and rarely takes bad shots from inside the arc. When it comes to shooting the ball, Dunleavy fills in any holes (there aren't many) that Butler may not fill.
Jimmy Butler's 2014-15 chart
Mike Dunleavy's 2014-15 chart
While Butler is the superior defender, Dunleavy is also a solid team defender. Thibodeau wouldn't have him out on the floor otherwise. The Bulls' offense has improved dramatically throughout the Thibodeau era (over 103 points per game this year, as opposed to just 93.7 a year ago), and a big part of that has to do with the re-emergence of Rose.
It also has a lot to do with the newfound stardom of Butler. It also has a great deal to do with the continued consistency of Dunleavy. The way the three of them mesh as a collective perimeter unit hasn't happened immediately, nor is it something they're done working on. But slowly, they're starting to develop some cohesion with each other. Much like Butler's individual development, the Bulls as a defensive-oriented squad is becoming a dangerous two-way team.
Before the injuries, Rose couldn't take the Bulls all the way by himself. As good as he was, he was still lacking a true supporting cast to get his team past the heavyweights. With a repositioned East, a new and improved set of bigs, and a bolstered new set of wings, Rose won't have to do it all on a nightly basis. Thanks to Butler and Dunleavy, not even from the perimeter.