NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard Raises The Bar For Chicago Bulls' Wing

Chicago Bulls starting shooting guard, Jimmy Butler, had a great 2013-2014 NBA season.

The third year player began the season by being named the starting 2 guard and finished the season helping the Chicago Bulls earn a hard-fought playoff berth.

During the season, he averaged 13.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.6 APG, and 1.9 SPG, and he was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, along with a player he has often been compared to: Kawhi Leonard.

Will Jimmy Butler's game flourish for Chicago the way Kawhi Leonard's has for the NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs?

However, with Kawhi Leonard being one of the big difference-makers in the San Antonio Spurs victory over the waning Miami Heat and being touted as the guy to lead the Spurs as the future face of the franchise, one wonders, "What about another 2011 First Round Draft Pick?"

Kawhi Leonard was selected with the 15th Overall Pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers, who shipped Leonard to San Antonio for George Hill.

Jimmy Butler was also a member of the 2011 NBA Draft Class. He was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 30th Overall Pick.

(The 2011 NBA Draft is also notable for the Chicago Bulls acquisition of the rights to Nikola Mirotic, the 23rd Overall Pick, from the Minnesota Timberwolves.)

With the 2014 NBA Finals MVP, Kawhi would get the edge right now, but Butler had similar regular season production to Leonard's 12.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.0 APG, and 1.7 SPG.

And with Leonard claiming the 2014 NBA Finals MVP, the expectations in Chicago of Jimmy Butler will certainly be elevated.

But Jimmy Butler will be up to the task.

Just as Leonard was mentally tougher than Lebron in the NBA Finals, Jimmy Butler has shown the same competitive spirit. Just recall Jimmy Butler and the Chicago Bulls battling back from 12 points down in the 4th quarter against the Miami Heat this past season.

And with his dedication to getting better, we can expect Butler to have an even more consistant jumper and three-point stroke to go along with his defensive skills, determination, and hustle.

The Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers proved to be vulnerable and incomplete as teams, leaving the Eastern Conference wide open for the taking. And if everything falls right, it will be the Chicago Bulls that seize the moment to headline the 2015 NBA Finals.

Who do you think is the better player, Kawhi Leonard or Jimmy Butler? Who will have the better career, Kawhi Leonard or Jimmy Butler? Which one of these 2011 NBA Draft Picks will make it to the 2015 NBA Finals: Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, or both? Tell us what you think in the comments below!