Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade Benched vs. Heat as Discipline for Comments

Following their comments to the media after Wednesday night's loss to the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls guards Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler will not start Friday night's game against the Miami Heat from United Center for disciplinary reasons, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. 

ESPN.com's Nick Friedell later confirmed Johnson's reports. 

After Wednesday's 119-114 loss to the Hawks, both Wade and Butler questioned the commitment of their fellow Bulls teammates. 

"I don't know if people care enough. ... It just doesn't mean enough to guys around here," Wade said, via Johnson. "And it pisses me off."

He continued: "I'm 35 years old. I have three championships. It shouldn't hurt me more than it hurts these young guys. They have to want it. I can look at Jimmy and say Jimmy is doing his job. I think Jimmy can look at me and say Dwyane is doing his job. I don't know if we can keep going down the line and be able to say that."

Butler was just as unhappy while echoing Wade's sentiments. 

"If you don't come in motherf--kin' pissed off every game, any game. If you’re not pissed off that you lost, something is wrong," Butler said, via Whitney Medworth of SB Nation. "This is your job. This is what you’re supposed to love to do.”

The Bulls are 4-3 in their last seven games but 23-24 on the year as they're struggling to hold on to the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. 

For a team that boasts Butler, Wade and Rajon Rondo, who fired back at the two for their comments via his Instagram, it likely wasn't expecting a battle to stay at .500 in the weaker Eastern Conference. 

Chicago announced Paul Zipser and Doug McDermott will start against the Heat, while Butler and Wade are available to come off the bench.