Jimmy Butler, a man who once put pep in the step of Minnesota Timberwolves fans, has become its most infuriating instigator. Just the mention of his name is enough to make fans see red. The Timberwolves’ organization and its on-court leader, Karl-Anthony Towns, clearly make Butler feel the same way. Friday night’s events only cemented that this relationship will stay acrimonious for as long as both the Wolves and Butler are in the league.
Anthony Edwards got his first taste of that acrimony this month, as the Wolves played the Heat twice in three weeks. Both games gave the Wolves a lot to learn as they try to figure out how to win consistently. From the first game, a lot of good; from the second, quite a bit of bad.
As the second meeting came to a close, Butler had a lot to say about it, something that did not reflect well on him. What did reflect well was how he played. He had 25 points on 15 shots to go along with eight rebounds, six assists, and five steals. On the other side of the ledger, Ant came too late to the party and was seemingly flustered by the Miami Heat’s defensive strategy, much of which was Jimmy Butler-oriented.
Edwards is having a glorious offensive year, one that is better than even those with the highest of hopes could have expected. But as much as it hurts for Wolves fans to admit, there are some parts of Butler’s game that would be great for Ant to learn from if the team is to take a step forward next season.
Watching the game on Friday, and the Heat’s run to the NBA Finals last year, what struck me was Butler’s composure in the post. He is one of the strongest players in the league, and he uses his strength and skill to get what he wants in the paint. That’s how a player who shoots 21% from beyond the arc can score so efficiently. On Friday, Butler was 11-14 from the line. Ant was 3-3.
The website Cleaning the Glass adds shooting fouls drawn into their shooting percentages. At the rim, Jimmy shoots 68%, 23rd among wings this year. On the other hand, Ant is shooting 58%, 75th on the same list.
The other big difference between what Jimmy is and what Ant could become is the 3-point shooting. Jimmy has never been a great shooter but has never relied on it. Ant is a so-so shooter from deep, but his shot chart indicates an aspiration to be a better one. He was 2-9 from beyond the arc against the Heat.
Butler turns down open shots from beyond the arc, and I am in no way suggesting that Ant should do that. But perhaps if he adopted some of Butler’s eagerness to get onto the low block and work from there, a more consistent experience could emerge.
Timberwolves fans don’t want to hear it, but a few pages from Butler’s book could go a long way for the betterment of this franchise.
