Jimmy Butler is probabnly not one of the more endearing names for Philadelphia 76ers fans. After all, while he was part of the team that probably had the most memorable playoff run in the Joel Embiid era, he ended up spending just half a season with the franchise, exiting the squad in unceremonious terms in that same year.
Now with the Warriors, the six-time All-Star continues to play at a high level. However, with Golden State currently middling in the jampacked and brutal Western Conference, many of their fans — and even their own head coach — have become antsy. In fact, some are already calling out Butler for not doing more when the team is basically treating him as an untouchable piece.
Part and parcel over those complaints — of the overblown variant — is the fact that Butler has not done much to elevate their team’s ceiling this season, unlike in the previous campaign. However, it seems like people are completely glossing over Butler’s very nature as a player which the 76ers are all too familiar with — that he is a tremendous floor-raiser who should not be mistaken for a messianic force.
Warriors are realizing something the 76ers have always known about Jimmy Butler
Butler’s best trait is that he is a big-time riser come playoff time. However, his production during the regular season has always paled in comparison to his postseason wonders. Now, with the Warriors struggling in the race out West, Butler is looking like he is settling when in fact, this is just who he is.
Back when the 76ers had him in the 2018-19 season, Butler operated as a lethal option on the secondary or even tertiary. Even in the playoffs, he never really did the heavy lifting, albeit by design with Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Tobias Harris surrounding him.
Thus, it is simply unreasonable for the Warriors to demand him to be someone he is not. He is not a voluminous scorer. He is not a bomb waiting to explode out in the perimeter. He is at his best when he is put in a role where he can become opportunistic and exploit the weaknesses on the oppsing defense. In fact, Golden State has him in such a space with Steph Curry still having the reins on the hardwood.
If anything, the Warriors faithful should blame their lack of functional depth and the fact that their coacing staff ahs not really adjusted to the handicaps of their roster. Jimmy Butler will always be Jimmy Butler, and as the 76ers know fully well, while he is perfectly capable of being dominant, he will never forcibly assume the mantle of superhero just for the sake of doing so.