Derrick Rose might be playing well over the past few games, but let's be honest: The only thing the Chicago Bulls have going for them right now is Jimmy Butler.
The two-way standout is averaging 22.4 points, 4.3 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game this season, but he's missed 12 of the Bulls past 13 games with a left knee sprain, suffered in Denver on Feb. 5.
Actually, make that 13 of 14 games. Butler was ruled out of the Bulls' game with the Spurs on Wednesday and is going to seek a second opinion on that sprained left knee from renowned orthopedic surgeon James Andrews.
Butler returned for the Bulls' game against the Rockets Saturday — he played 34 minutes and put up an impressive line of 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists — but then the injured knee swelled up again and kept him out of the Bulls' Monday matchup against the Bucks.
Last week I wrote that the Bulls should chalk this season up as a loss, rest Butler, limit Rose, and tank the remainder of their games in an effort to mitigate the negative effects of this failed campaign and extract some good — a higher draft pick — from it.
Head coach Fred Hoiberg, for some reason, didn't listen, and playing Butler in an effort to make the playoffs as an eight seed (how quickly would the Cavs take out this Bulls team in the first round?) may have exacerbated an injury that was already serious.
To put that another way: Letting Butler play 34 minutes on a not-entirely-100-percent knee might have put the Bulls' 2016-17 season goals in jeopardy.
Hopefully for the Bulls and basketball fans in general, Andrews' examination of Butler's knee confirms the first diagnosis that there is no structural damage.
But Butler shouldn't play again this season regardless of what Andrews determines. There's no way Butler's knee is going to be fully healthy this season and there's even less of a chance that this Bulls team does anything of worth should they make the playoffs.
