(No) Chips On Their Shoulders: NBA stars with legacies to defend in the second round of the playoffs
By Mack Biester
Jimmy Butler, Philadelphia 76ers
Similar to the voters for this year’s All-Star game, I forgot about Jimmy Butler when first drafting this list. Somehow a guy putting up 19-5-4 (with 2 SPG to compliment) on a 50-win team has been determined an afterthought.
Many aren’t even considering him as eligible for All-NBA, seemingly less for his level of play and more for the hostile tactics he employed to have himself traded midseason. Say what you will about Jimmy in the locker room, but on the court Butler is a guy you want on your side, namely because he’s proven he’s willing to do whatever it takes to win, whether it be playing off the ball and locking up the opponent’s best player, or playing point forward and making the big shot at the end of the game.
At 29 years of age, and a potential change of scenery coming this summer, expect Butler to leave it all on the floor for a team many consider to have the best starting 5 in the league (with DeMarcus Cousins injured, that is).