Butler stakes his claim to be a leader for Chicago Bulls

Twice this week, rising star Jimmy Butler suggested the Bulls have lacked leadership and detailed his plans to fill the void.

His heart seems to be in the right place and it's nice to hear Butler is willing to take on more responsibilities. Is it a smart move to say it publicly, though?

For starters, here's what Butler said in an interview with nba.com's David Aldridge:

"Leadership is one of the only things that this team has really been lacking. We've had a little here and there, but I think you've got to have that guy to come in and get it done in the leadership role."

Butler elaborated on the theme after the Bulls' preseason opener, a 105-95 victory over Milwaukee at the United Center.

"We've just got a couple guys that are quiet by nature," he said. "Nothing's wrong with that. Guys lead with their emotions, if it's Jo (Noah). With their play, like Derrick (Rose), Pau (Gasol). Pau's been on winning teams, won some championships.

"We need a guy that's going hard every night and going to back up what he's talking about. I definitely think it's going to be me."

It would be wrong to conclude Butler's statement as a knock on Rose. No one in the locker room believes Rose is a team leader. He's a good player who hasn't been around much the last three seasons.

Butler's claim isn't necessarily a knock on anybody. But the concern is it could create some tension with Noah, who consider himself a leader.

The thing is, there doesn't have to be a single team leader. Butler, Noah, Gasol and Taj Gibson should all share the role. There isn't a single leader on the San Antonio Spurs. It's done by committee.

Butler seems to understand this and talked about it after Tuesday's preseason opener.

"I think we've got to have a locker room of leaders," he said. "No (one) more than anybody else. But when times get tough and we're down - we're not making shots, we're not getting stops - somebody, I, have to be that guy that makes sure we're doing what we're supposed to be doing."

Asked if his teammates will accept him as a more vocal leader, Butler answered, "I hope so. We'll find out. I'll let you know next time."

Maybe a true leader wouldn't have publicly announced he's planning to be a leader. Butler's work ethic and overall improvement has already earned the respect of his teammates, so he shouldn't meet with any resistance.

Among the more pressing problems with the Bulls is working Rose back into everyone's good graces when he returns from a broken eye socket. The day before the injury occurred, Rose rubbed his teammates the wrong way by talking about how he's looking forward to a significant payday in 2017 free agency - as opposed to, say, trying to win a championship this season.

Another concern is the possibility of easing Noah out of the starting lineup. If the new coaching staff believes Gasol and Noah don't work well together, Noah will probably be the one to slide to the bench because Gasol prefers to start.

The decision has yet to be made, but the Bulls suspect Noah has the maturity to handle such a scenario. And embrace Butler as a fellow leader.

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