After roughly half a season without Jimmy Butler, let’s check in on him and see how he’s doing on his new adventure. We all still support him, right?
The timing couldn’t be better because after the Wolves win over the Clippers, they have already tied their win total from last season at 31.
To put it simply – Jimmy Butler is killing it.
Butler has the Timberwolves currently sitting in 3rd in the Western Conference and looking like one of the more dominant teams in the NBA. Despite all of the other offseason moves and growth of their young core, there is no question that Jimmy Butler is the driving force in the culture change in Minnesota.
The Timberwolves of last year struggled with aspects of the game like defense, hustle, and closing out games in clutch time. Those are all things that Jimmy has had an immense impact on this season.
And with his leadership abilities constantly being questioned while in Chicago, Butler is doing all this not with his words – but with his play. Jimmy is currently 2nd in the NBA in loose balls recovered per game and also tied for 3rd in deflections per game.
Now, Chicago Bulls fans know darn well the type of hustle that Jimmy brings to the court but that’s the type of play that the Wolves haven’t had much of lately. It’s also the type of play that inspires the younger stars on a team to not only rely on their talent but to have a constantly high work ethic as well.
Jimmy Butler is changing the culture in Minnesota
The Wolves also struggled last year winning close games. They lost 25 of 36 games decided by seven points or less. That’s far too many for any team with playoff aspirations.
This season, thus far, the Wolves are 12-11 in games decided by seven points or less. Don’t get me wrong, I know 12-11 isn’t great, but that’s a huge leap forward from where they were last year. And Jimmy Butler undoubtedly has had a lot to do with that improvement.
According to nbaminer.com, Jimmy Butler is 3rd in the league in points scored in clutch time and first in the league in free throws made and attempted in clutch time. Just what the doctor ordered for the not-so-young anymore Wolves.
Their defense still needs work but that will come with time. You can already see the impact Jimmy has made on Andrew Wiggins as far as perimeter defense goes.
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How else has Jimmy helped the Wolves with their success this year?
SRS (Simple Rating System), according to basketball-reference.com, is “a rating that takes into account average point differential and strength of schedule.” The Wolves last year were 18th in the league in SRS. This year? 6th. That’s quite a jump and Jimmy G. Buckets’ 22 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals per game are sure contributing.
Basically, Chicago Bulls fans miss you Jimmy, but we’re happy you’re finding success.