When it comes to the two-way guard, he’s all about winning; something that’s a lost art nowadays.
Everyone knew Butler was upset with his situation in Minnesota, and I’m glad that he blew up at practice. As a matter of fact, I encourage every player to have Butler’s energy. He’s bringing the passion back to the NBA.
We’re starting to see a different side to Butler than in previous seasons when he chose to be reserved. He doesn’t care about getting paid, and he’s not going to just sit around and let his talent go to waste.
I’ve seen so many players just chose to sit back and let their careers die. At one point, I thought one of those players was going to be Jimmy Butler. I started to question where his head was at. Did he really want to take the Timberwolves to the next level? Karl-Anthony Towns and company pushed him to his limit. I feel for him during that day at practice because I’ve been there myself. You get so caught up with wanting to win, and the minute you see someone let up, you’re at their neck. At the end of the day, it’s all about being respected and wanting to win. He made the right decision.
Some say he left a bunch of immature kids to join a group of even more immature kids. The 76ers might be immature, but they have one thing in common and that’s a passion for winning. We all saw what happened in that Celtics/Sixers playoff series, and Butler is that missing piece. He can be that difference between late-game turnovers and late-game buckets.
Butler is the perfect fit for this Philadelphia team. He compliments Simmons, Redick, and Embiid with his defensive-minded play style. Due to this trade, we’ll see a drop in minutes for former first-round pick Markelle Fultz who had started the first 15 games for the Sixers this season. It also took two key pieces out of the rotation in Robert Covington and Dario Saric. That slightly weakens them defensively, but it also takes away from their bench productivity.
There are a lot of things to consider when looking at what this deal has done for Philadelphia, and unfortunately, we won’t see those effects for another few months until players get adjusted.
With Butler making his debut today, he won’t be the first option on offense. He might not even be the second. I’m not taking anything away from him, but Butler will have to ease his way into the rotation. I expect him to come out with a lot of energy early and hound his opponent with some sizable minutes. Butler was averaging 21.3 points and 2.4 steals in ten games for the Timberwolves, his numbers will be affected by the move.
Where does this put the Sixers? I’d say they’re a solid fourth or fifth seed in the East. The Raptors, Bucks, and Celtics are the teams that will be in their way. Honestly, I can also see the Pacers giving them some trouble as well.