Chicago Bulls fans have had the luxury of watching Jimmy Butler emerge as a two-way star all season so we know exactly what Jimmy G Buckets is capable of.
Butler, the 30th pick in the 2011 draft, has transformed before our eyes from a defensive stud who struggled to score the basketball into a bona fide star. Jimmy has put this team on his back at times and has proven that he can do more than just be a lockdown defender. Last year he struggled mightily to score the ball. Averaging 13.1 points on 39% shooting, he could never seem to put it together on offense and left some wondering if he would ever perform on offense the way he does defensively.
All the work Butler put in the off season is paying big dividends this year. This season he made his first all-star team and improved his numbers virtually across the board. At season’s end Jimmy finished with averages of 20.0 points per game on 46% shooting, also drilling 39% of his 3’s; up from 28% last year. Not only is his shooting percentage up, but he is also getting to the free throw line at a high rate, 7.1 attempts per game compared to 5 last season. This is all translating to valuable and efficient production for a Chicago team that has searched for a legit scoring threat to pair with Derrick Rose for years.
This first round series against the Milwaukee Bucks has been Jimmy Butler’s time to shine.
He has been the best player for the Bulls during the playoffs and if not for his stellar play it is possible the Bulls wouldn’t be where they are at now. He’s improved his numbers from the regular season in nearly every category. In 5 games Jimmy is averaging 26.6 points per game on 47% shooting and 41% from 3. He is also getting to the free throw line even more than the regular season, averaging 8.6 attempts per game. Simply put, he can’t be stopped. His scoring output alone is impressive but what puts him over the top is the fact that he is doing all this while still playing suffocating defense. Jimmy does not take a play off.
Many games he is tasked with guarding the other team’s best player. He has consistently been clogging the passing lanes coming up with steals and hustling to block shots which has him averaging 2.2 steals and 1 block per game for the series.
This is just the first round and the farther they advance the opponents will get tougher but I don’t believe Jimmy Butler will fold under pressure I see him coming up big througout these playoffs.
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