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“To be honest, the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Chicago is violence. Imagine what the local guys are experiencing every day.
Mentoring youth is important to me because as a kid I focused on older kids. Now when I walk with the children, I discover what is happening in their lives. I see how they want to change this world. “- Jimmy Butler, Miami basketball player.
Beginning his career with the Chicago Bulls, Jimmy Butler has gone from being a rookie chosen in the 30 pick (8.5 minutes; 2.6 points averaged for the 2011/2012 season) to an NBA star who dragged Hit to the championship final . But that’s just the icing on the cake. How did our hero achieve such success? What difficulties are left behind? Let’s talk more about this. And if he’s sure the Lakers will win, Jimbo can change his mind.
How it all began
Our hero grew up without a father who left the family when the future basketball player was still a baby. At age 13, after returning home, his mother said that she did not like her son’s appearance and that it would be better if he left home. Jimmy had to spend the night with friends, switching from one to the other every two weeks. This can break a person. Or make it stronger: “No hard feelings. Now I continue to communicate with my family. With mom. With Dad. We love each other. And it will always be that way, ”Butler said in a 2011 interview.
After graduating from school in his hometown of Tomball, Jimmy did not rank high among the top basketball programs in American universities, so he decided to start small: he joined the college program in Tyler, Texas. Humiliating for the future King of the Fourth Quarter? Perhaps. But our hero kept moving towards his goal. And after the first season (18.1; 7.7; 3.1) Jimbo was invited to Marquette University. It is symbolic that Miami leader Dwyane Wade (2001-2003) played in it. At his new location, Jimmy not only made impressive progress, but also set aside the All-Big East conference award certificate.
Mr. Jimmy Bucketts’ career in Chicago
Probably, by his 22 years at the beginning of the first season in the NBA, our hero is already used to the tests. Therefore, it is not surprising that the 2011/2012 regular season started only in December after a lockout and lasted 66 games. But this didn’t stop Chicago from winning the Eastern Conference and Jimmy from playing 42 games in the regular season and 3 games in the playoffs.
Surprisingly, Butler was used as a light forward – 95 percent of the playing time. That is, in the first season, he was a direct competitor of Luol Deng, one of the best role players in the NBA of that time. But his +/- rating (with Butler on the court, the Bulls scored 16.9 points more than their opponents) and his high-quality defensive skills persuaded Tom Thibodeau to leave the young basketball player in the team’s rotation more often. . And towards the end of the 2012/2013 season, Jimmy became a top five player: When everyone was healthy, he and Deng played together.
Since then, our hero has consistently played at the start, and since the 2014/2015 season he has reached the elite level, earning an average of more than 20 points per game. So he got the nickname “Jimmy Bucketts”, the word “bucket” is used for those players who get good scores, more than 20 points per game. And at the same time he received the title of most progressive player in the 2015 regular season. I went to the All-Star Game three times. Three times he made the second defensive team in the NBA and once the third team in the entire NBA. But the Chicago Bulls weren’t the same anymore and couldn’t get past the second round.
Find your place
First, in 2017, there was a trade from “Minnesota” to Tom Thibodeau. And the seventh pick in the draft: Lauri Markkanen, Chris Dunn and Zach LaVin went in the opposite direction. But nothing came of it. The Timberwolves failed at the end of the regular season and then were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round, losing to the incredibly strong Houston with Harden and Paul. Count in the series – 1-4. And our hero (22.2; 5.3; 4.9 on average for the 2017/2018 season), seeing that he has nothing to do with the current squad of the team in the West, asked for a trade.
Andrew Wiggins, a former partner from Minnesota, said of him: “Butler was a good teammate. A true fighter. He gave a lot to the team, he led the boys to the final (Miami), this is a great achievement. This shows what it is capable of. Everyone forgot that when Jimmy was in Minnesota, we were third in the Strong West before his injury. It may have happened to a good team, Miami, and the rest is history. “
In the final year under the contract, Philadelphia risked a “unique” season, having given up nearly the entire pitching bank and a second-round pick in return. What did 76 get in the end? An elite roster, arguably the strongest of the 21st century for Philadelphia, ranked third in the regular season. And this in view of the abundant number of injuries that rained down on the team that season. But only Redikk and … center Embid could shoot 3 points. And what happened in the playoffs, we know perfectly well.
Butler: Pat Riley’s hope for a decent retirement
“If you put Jimmy in a cage with cats, he will growl in disgust. If you put her in a kennel with dogs, she will feel like home, ”Yudonis Haslem shared her thoughts on Butler.
On July 6, 2019, our hero under the scheme of “sign and trade” set out to conquer the southeast coast of the United States. Why are you moving to Miami? There is a full salary of performers, but there is not a single top-level player. This was declared by all the experts and fans of the NBA with one voice. In fact, at first the transition seemed unjustified. But everyone forgot that Pat Riley himself is on “Hit”! He managed to clear the roster, grab a couple of nouns that will skyrocket in the 2019/2020 season, and find Tyler Irrow in the draft.
Meanwhile, Jimmy continued to progress. No, not in terms of points scored (19.9, 6.7, 6.0 in the last NBA regular season). With coach Eric Spoelstra, he finally dominated the position of a powerful forward (46% of regular season playing time in this role and 90% in the playoffs).
It’s true that in terms of rebounding and assists for teammates, Jimbo showed the best results in his career. But you and I are interested in the playoffs, where Jimmy Butler becomes Jimmy Bucketts (20.7; 5.7; 4.5). Don’t be misled by such modest numbers for the leader of “Hit”. Their whole game comes down at the end of matches, when Miami players scatter to the corners, making a lineout for our hero, and … Butler begins to decide. He shoots 9.2 free throws per game with a conversion rate of 85%. In addition, he has such passes under the board in his arsenal, after which the ball is guaranteed to enter the ring. So it was with Milwaukee, so it was with Boston. It is very possible that Mr. Bucketts will decide in the final with the Lakers. Hey, Snoop Dogg, you have opponents for Los Angeles. The most uncomfortable opponents.
About LeBron James
“You can’t rank the top 5 basketball players without including LeBron. He’s still the best basketball player in the league. Does your team need points? LeBron will. Everything you need, when you need it.
When we talk about combining speed and athleticism, strength and explosiveness, thoughts of LeBron come to mind. You can play elite in any position. So every lost match turns into a nightmare for the younger players, you just push them. And the greats facing James in the post aren’t fast enough to purely defend against him.
He also constantly connects all teammates with attacks. He’ll obey his teammates and play basketball selflessly, and then when it’s time to win the game, LeBron James will miraculously put on a cape and … BAM!
The game is over.
He’s the type of guy you want to fight because you compare yourself to him. For example, if you are able to play better than LeBron James, then you are on the right track.
But if you are not capable it is because you are a person, just like everyone else, “said Jimmy Butler.
There is definitely greatness in our hero and his story. But can Jimbo add an NBA title to his 2016 Olympic gold medal? Objectively, LAL had no worthy opponents in the West, but the “Hit” passed to the strongest organizations in the East. “I consider them the best team in the East, they deserve the right to represent the conference in the decisive series with their game,” said Brad Stevens.
Lakers – Miami. Prediction and announcement of the final of the NBA playoffs
Still have doubts that Miami can beat the Lakers? Perhaps this argument will convince you: “To defeat the Lakers, you need to show a game close to the ideal. We are capable of this. We are not concerned that some of the rivals became first in the conference, some in fifth. We think of ourselves, that we have to appear as the best version of the Miami Heat, – said team leader Jimmy Butler. And his story makes you believe that there is always a way out even in the most difficult situations. So it’s very possible that this Endgame could change our world.
Vyacheslav SHEVCHENKO
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