Butler believes new-look Chicago Bulls have will to win

Jimmy Butler was careful to avoid knocking last year's Bulls team when he talked after Thursday's season-opening win over Boston.

Butler led the Bulls with 24 points and one of his memorable highlights was a scuffle with former Marquette teammate Jae Crowder in the second quarter. Crowder knocked Butler to the floor on an offensive foul, Butler stuck his legs out to trip Crowder in retaliation, then Rajon Rondo and Boston's Isaiah Thomas jumped into the argument. All four players received technical fouls.

"I have three things to say about it as a whole: Jae's my guy. In the heat of the moment, that's what's supposed to happen," Butler said in the locker room. "I want to thank Rondo for backing me up. Thirdly, Dwyane Wade was practicing his 3-point shot while I was over there."

True, Wade launched a 3-point practice shot while the other nine players were checking out the scrum.

"He said he made a 3, so I'm not mad at that," Butler said. "That's good to have guys coming to your aid like that and show we're going to be here together for the long run."

These sort of incidents happen all the time in the NBA. But after last season's Bulls faded out of the playoffs with a 42-40 record, maybe it's a good sign the new group of players went to battle right away.

"That's something that shows the guys are out there fighting for each other," Hoiberg said. "It happens when you have two competitive, hard-playing teams. ... It's been a big theme of practices - physicality, playing with toughness, not getting outworked."

Butler, too, thought the skirmish showed something about the state of the Bulls after significant roster changes during the summer.

"To tell you the truth, I think it all comes down to having fun," Butler said. "I think everybody's having fun out there, I think everybody wants everybody to be successful and when that's happening, we all come together, through the good, through the bad.

"I think it's people's will to win. I'm not saying a bad thing about anybody from last year. I just think … I study the game a lot and I put in a lot of work, but Rondo studies the game a lot. Every time I'm in the gym, he's in the gym working on his game. That lets me know this (guy's) just coming to war with you every day. When I hit that deck, Rondo is right there. I want to play with guys that are going to play hard, that are going to fight. I think Dwyane Wade, Rondo and everybody else in this locker room has a will to win. It's real."

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