Bulls mailbag: Butler calling out Hoiberg, Noah's future with the team

The Bulls had an eventful weekend, to say the least. It began with the four-overtime loss to Detroit and ended with Jimmy Butler asking for a more aggressive coaching style from Fred Hoiberg after Saturday's loss in New York.

There have been a fair share of issues this season, but the Bulls aren't in bad shape, all things considered. Even after the two losses, they own a 15-10 record, just 1 game behind last year's pace.

So as the Bulls took Sunday off to regroup, this is a good time to answer questions from Twitter followers:

Was Butler right to call out Hoiberg? — @nb182

Well, it's always a little harsh to be critical of a coach when speaking to reporters. Butler probably should have sent his message to Hoiberg directly.

Was it the wrong message? Not necessarily. If Butler believes his teammates aren't following the game plan and nothing is being done to correct the situation, he has a right to be annoyed. Looking from the outside, it's tough to say if Butler's read on the situation is accurate. Let's face it, the Bulls probably weren't going to win in New York after playing 4OT on Friday no matter how many players memorized the game plan.

Is Butler really a leader this team will follow? — @Dream_Chaser23

Tough to say. In general, a true leader wouldn't step up to a microphone and announce plans to become a team leader, like Butler did. A great leader would just lead.

He may have gone about it in the wrong way, but Butler's track record speaks for itself. He went from the No. 30 draft pick to an all-star because of his impressive work ethic. His teammates would be fools not to use Butler as a role model.

At the same time, Butler seems to be getting frustrated by teammates who haven't matched his massive improvement. Even if it's justified, delivering criticism the wrong way can lead to alienated teammates. Butler will need to pay close attention to his leadership style.

Do you believe after Bobby Portis in New York, he'll start seeing a lot of minutes from now on? — @RashaadStancie

Probably not. Portis has done just about everything he can when given opportunities in summer league, preseason and now in his first extensive regular season action. But he's still losing the numbers game.

The Bulls already have Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson being underutilized in many games. So unless there's an injury or the team hits a bad slump, Portis will continue to wait on the bench, most likely.

Why is Nikola Mirotic shooting so poorly compared to last year? — @100prechivas

That's a good question, but to be accurate, Mirotic didn't shoot all that well last season. His 3-point shooting is up compared to last year, from 31.6 to 33.9 percent. His overall field-goal percentage has dropped to .382 this year.

Mirotic has been an enigma. Some nights he looks like one of the league's brightest young stars. Many other nights, he struggles. His good-to-bad ratio has been close to 50-50 this season.

The Bulls should stick with Mirotic, because he figures to get better with experience. Maybe it's possible he'll sit down for a stretch if Hoiberg wants to give Portis a chance.

Will the Bulls keep Noah next year? — @pejvahdat

Another good question. Noah will be a free agent next summer and his value on the open market is tough to gauge after an injury-marred season and now reduced minutes.

Keep in mind, the Bulls are a franchise that appreciates a full arena and sound marketing plan. The Bulls love how Noah's intensity plays with the fans. And he's done well recently in Hoiberg's system. If I had to guess now, I'd say Noah will re-sign with the Bulls and eventually have his number retired.

When will Dunleavy be back? — @KioTiz

Nothing definitive yet, but late January is the guess.

Should the Bulls make a trade to get new life into this team? --@Paulrose1323

A trade might make sense, but the feeling here is the Bulls aren't likely to make a major move this season. The reason is they'll have salary-cap flexibility in the next two years, with Noah and Pau Gasol likely becoming free agents next summer (Gasol has a player option) and with Derrick Rose and Gibson's contracts expiring in 2017.

The Bulls will try to remake the roster to fit Hoiberg's style, but the shake-up is more likely to begin next summer.

Could the Bulls trade Butler for Sacramento's DeMarcus Cousins? — @yakekim

Well, any team is going to be wary of adding the volatile Cousins as a franchise centerpiece. At this point, Butler seems like a safer guy to have on the roster.

The Bulls are likely checking on Cousins' availability, but they'd want him as part of a younger nucleus and Sacramento would expect young players back in a trade.

Get the latest Bulls news by following @McGrawDHBulls.

Bulls scouting report

Bulls vs. Brooklyn Nets at the United Center, 7 tonight

TV: Comcast SportsNet

Radio: ESPN 1000-AM

Outlook: Brooklyn (7-20), riding a five-game losing streak, still has some familiar names on the floor. C Brook Lopez leads the team with 19.2 ppg. PF Thaddeus Young is averaging 15.6 points and 9.1 rebounds, with PG Jarret Jack at 13.9 points. The Bulls beat the Nets in Brooklyn on the second night of the season 115-100, thanks to 24 points by Jimmy Butler.

Next: Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday at Chesapeake Energy Arena, 1:30 p.m.

— Mike McGraw