Jimmy Butler. 6x NBA All-Star. 4x All-NBA Third Team. 5x All-Defensive Second Team. 2015 NBA Most Improved Player. 2021 NBA steals leader. 2016 Olympic Gold medalist. Culture setter.
Jimmy is just the jack of all trades. World class defender. Surprising offensive rebounder (especially given his wingspan). Crafty playmaker. Master of the midrange. He’s ELITE at getting to the free throw line. His shooting foul percentage (the percentage of a player’s shot attempts that he’s fouled on) was in the 99th percentile for wings in the regular season and in the 96th percentile during the playoffs. He also happened to average a career best 27.4 points per game in his 17 playoff appearances despite the numerous injuries - he also had FOUR 40 point games throughout this postseason which led the league.
There’s very little Jimmy cannot do.
His foundation is his phenomenal footwork. He’s got the poise and patience to pivot and pump, and twist, and then rip through and power to the paint. He can use his force or finish with finesse; he’ll go any way he needs in order to get to the basket, whether that’s under the defender, over, around, or even through them. He’s got the ability to hit from distance, his post game is pretty with the pristine pivoting he does, but he can also go full bully ball. Speaking of, he’s an absolute bull when he wants to get to the rim. He can score any kind of way, so as a defense, all you have to do is make him take the toughest shot possible…the only problem is, yeah, he can make those with worryingly regularity as well. He is Jimmy G Buckets after all, the G STILL stands for gets.
The most impressive thing about Jimmy Butler’s footwork is his ability to play off either foot. Notice the clip (1:55) from Game 4 against the 76ers where he attacks Embiid - it’s his right foot that he uses as his pivot. It’s a minor detail but when the left foot lunges out, he reverses and brings it back. That’s tremendously difficult.
Mike Prada wrote a brilliant piece a while ago about how Jimmy Butler overpowers bigger opponents. He talks about Butler’s unparalleled lower body strength.
“Butler’s lower-body strength manifests itself in two places. For one, his natural resting position is much lower to the ground than his opponents, which allows him to make short-burst movements in traffic while staying on balance. It’s like there’s an invisible chair holding his body in place at all times.”
mikeprada.substack.com/p/low-...
You won’t see as much of Jimmy’s famed Shimmy Jab/Stutter Rip move in this video because I have that separate for you right here: • Jimmy Butler - Face Up...
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