Beyond the numbers, he's backing up his leadership that has reached a fever pitch this year. While not everyone, particularly Derrick Rose's camp, has always been fond of it, it's been necessary at times when no one else would do the job. Only he had the guts to call out Fred Hoiberg when he felt his coach wasn't coming down hard enough on players. Plus, his biggest scoring performances, 40 in the second half against Toronto and a career-high 53 against Philadelphia have created no doubt that he can carry the team on his own unlike any other Bull, including Rose.
Butler has more than earned the five-year, $95 million contract he signed last offseason. Every year since he's come to Chicago, he's set his ceiling higher than we thought possible. He's evolved from end-of-bench rookie to everyman to All-Star to team leader. That's a short list to be on.
It's no secret the Bulls face an uncertain future with large contracts like Rose's and Pau Gasol's coming off the books over the next couple of years. Butler is here for whatever transition period might be coming and it will be up to the front office to construct a team around him that can still bring out his best. Rose might still be a key part of it, but Butler is the main guy now. As much as it breaks my heart to say that about the 2011 MVP, there's no denying his game is a notch or two below what Butler can do.
Hopefully, Butler will have fun with the best of the NBA when the All-Star Game takes place in Toronto in two weeks. That's a time to hang loose and see if you can show a little flash. Save the real energy for the second half of the season, but give Canada a taste of what you showed them just recently. Everything just keeps getting better for him, so it's time for him to enjoy the fruits of his labors (and God knows there's been a lot of them).
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