Tom Thibodeau praises Jimmy Butler

Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau has praised guard Jimmy Butler for the improvement he has made so far this season, particularly on the offensive end.

After averaging 13.1 points on 39.7% shooting a season ago, Butler's numbers have improved to 21.9 points on 49.8% shooting through the first 15 games of this season.

"Each year that he's been in the league, he's made big jumps. I think he's a very bright guy. Obviously, he's talented, you can't do what he's doing without great talent," Thibodeau told the media.

"But it's all the other things that go along with it, his intelligence, his drive, the way he can analyse how he's playing and what he wants to work on to improve."

Both Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah echoed the thoughts of their coach and insisted that they hope Butler continues to emerge as a key part of the franchise's championship push this season.