The Philadelphia 76ers made a move to acquire four-time All-Star Jimmy Butler. Does it automatically make Philly a title contender?
If you were worried that the Philadelphia 76ers didn’t have enough talent to compete for an NBA title, the front office made a move to change all of that. Philadelphia has acquired All-Star Jimmy Butler in a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
With Butler on the roster, the Sixers have a trio that is arguably the best in the Eastern Conference. Joel Embiid is proving that he is an MVP caliber talent, averaging 31.6 ppg and 14.6 rebounds a night in the month of November.
We know Ben Simmons still isn’t shooting the ball well, but with Jimmy Butler helping to space the floor, he’ll have more opportunities to create in the paint. With 75 percent of Ben’s points already coming from the painted area, that’s a luxury that I’m sure the Sixers are looking forward to.
Not only can all three players score at will, but they each are certified defensive stoppers. Jimmy Butler’s 6-foot-8, 200-pound frame only adds to Philadelphia’s ability to make defensive rotations and guard multiple positions.
That will come in handy against a Celtics’ squad that thrives on forcing teams to switch.
It will be interesting to see how the acquisition of Butler affects the development of Markelle Fultz. On one hand, it takes the pressure off of Fultz to make vast improvements right away. The Sixers can continue to bring him along slowly in limited minutes.
He’s currently averaging just 21 minutes per game as a starter, and still struggles to possess anything that resembles a fluid shooting motion.
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What we can’t account for is how Fultz will react to sliding in the Sixers order of priority. Can he cope with yet another player on the squad getting more opportunity to shine? There’s another phenomenal talent in the starting rotation that’s more efficient than Fultz. How does he make an impact on offense when there are three stars on the floor who can dominate at any time?
The Sixers are also expected to sign Butler to a long-term deal. Fultz will have to stay focused on improving without worrying about what that contract would mean for his future in Philadelphia.
Fultz isn’t the only one who will need to adjust to the addition of Butler. He has a unique personality that has ruffled feathers in the locker room. There may be some concern about postgame statements like the one that caused an implosion in Chicago. The infamous Timberwolves practice, in which he blasted everyone in the organization but the mascot, is a fresh memory.
All-Star Jimmy Butler participated in Minnesota's practice, a session that included him verbally challenging teammates, coaches and front office, league sources told ESPN. Butler was vociferous and emotional at times, targeting Thibodeau/Layden/Towns/Wiggins. Story soon on ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 10, 2018
The difference in Philadelphia is that Butler will be paired with players who are living up to expectations. There’s no denying the desire to win on the Sixers roster. Embiid and Simmons are competitors. J.J. Redick is a consummate professional. The team’s role players reflect the same energy. T.J. McConnell is Rocky Balboa in a basketball jersey.
We can keep going through the roster, but there’s no signs that Jimmy Butler will have an issue with the effort that the current Sixers bring on a nightly basis.
The most surprising part of the deal for Jimmy Butler is the fact that the Sixers had to give up very little in exchange for one of the best players in the league. Dario Saric had been struggling to start the season. Robert Covington had three years left on a $62 million deal and was only scoring 11.3 points per game. The second-round draft pick that Philly relinquished isn’t a big deal, considering that the Sixers have utilized veteran free agents in recent years to plug holes in the roster.
Don’t expect Jimmy Butler to come to Philadelphia and make the Sixers a lock for the NBA Finals overnight. It takes time for players to gel. Coach Brett Brown has his hands full with figuring out how to align the depth chart to ensure success. Luckily for the Sixers, the trade occurred with plenty of time in the regular season to figure all of that out.
The one thing that this deal does prove is that Elton Brand was the right man for the Sixers’ general manager position. He managed to make a major move without giving up any integral parts of the roster. He also avoided parting with a ton of future first-round draft picks. That’s not easy to do when a player like Jimmy Butler is up for grabs.
With Jimmy Butler in Philadelphia, are the Philadelphia 76ers the best team in the East? The impressive rosters of the Boston Celtics and the Toronto Raptors make it tough to tell. But what’s obvious is that the Sixers are willing to do whatever it takes to claim that spot as the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference for years to come.