Jimmy Butler loves free throws
Butler has done a masterful job of turning into a strong ballhandler who can absorb contact and power through to the basket. He doesn’t always get the shot to fall, but he’s been expert from the free throw line this year.
He was third in free throw attempts per game when I wrote about him earlier this season when he was accused of being a flopper. He hasn’t dropped significantly, in fact, he’s still fourth in the league as DeMarcus Cousins has passed him and joined Russell Westbrook and James Harden at the top of the leaderboard.
Those are some pretty good players. Butler is a pretty good player. Against Toronto, Butler struggled from the field, but made them pay at the free throw line. He looked visibly worn and tired against Boston most of the second half, hands on his knees at every dead ball. Still, he kept going.
There was a poor foul call at the end of the game. It probably wouldn’t be called in most situations. However, Jimmy got the call and if the hand of Marcus Smart did make contact, that is correctly called a foul. I get why people thought it shouldn’t have been called.
Butler stepped to the line with 0.9 seconds left in the game and drilled two free throws to give Chicago the lead and the win, 104-103. Those two makes had Butler finishing the night a perfect 9-for-9 from the charity stripe. That’s how your best player impacts the game, even if the circumstances get suspect.