Playoff Jimmy Incoming
Jimmy Butler’s time in Philadelphia has had its up’s and down’s so far, there have been stretches of greatness and stretches of struggle. Nevertheless, Jimmy is about to enter his hottest stretch of the year.
This season with the Sixers Jimmy is averaging 18.7 PPG, 1.9 APG, 4 RPG, 1.9 steals and shooting 47% from the field, pretty good numbers especially considering he’s on a loaded team. Jimmy has had a bit more difficulty finding his role in the team than Tobias Harris has had, but it seems like Jimmy is getting closer and closer to figuring it out. The Sixers took on the Bucks yesterday in a possible preview of the Eastern Conference Finals and Jimmy balled out. Obviously Joel Embiid stole the show with his 40 point perfromance, but Jimmy did his thing. Jimmy had 27 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and was +3 on the court while shooting 50% from the field and 2/2 on threes. Jimmy also hit a number of huge clutch buckets and was a huge reason we closed the game out. Closing games out has been one of the Sixers flaws this season and it really helps that Jimmy is stepping up as that clutch player the Sixers so desprately need.
This season in games against Boston, Toronto and Milwaukee Jimmy has averaged 23.5 points, 3.5 assists, 6.3 rebounds and shot 48%. Those are very solid numbers against the teams that pose the biggest threat to the Sixers in the Eastern Conference. When Jimmy is aggressive and takes over a game it’s not crazy to say he’s the second best player on this team. We have been seeing a lot more of this aggressiveness out of Jimmy in recent games and it could not be coming at a better time as the Sixers get ready to make their playoff push. Jimmy has also been coming up HUGE in 4th quarters recently, earning him the nickname “4th Quarter Jimmy” among some fans.
As we approach the playoffs where we will most likely play those teams I just mentioned, it will be necessary that Jimmy keep up his great play against those teams and continue to come up clutch late in games the way he has been.
Joel Embiid is obviously the best player on the Sixers, but I think Jimmy Butler is going to be the most vital player to the Sixers’ playoff run.
He will be the player that gives the team an edge when it comes to pulling out close games against other great teams. The playoffs are coming, and Jimmy is also coming, in a big way.
Featured picture via Philly.com
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