Butler shows up when it’s money time. For him, money time is when the game’s on the line.
Jimmy Butler hit the game-winning shot, crouched down, then stared at the rim in awe of what he’d just done. Butler had just sealed Philadelphia’s 118-115 comeback victory over Boston on Wednesday. In actuality, he reminded the world exactly why the 76ers traded for him months ago.
Butler’s game winner was the cap to a larger fourth quarter explosion where he’d scored 15 of his 22 points. After he seemingly coasted through the first three periods, the Sixers’ star came alive right on time — money time.
#HereTheyCome@JimmyButler (22 PTS) comes up big late, scoring 15 4th quarter PTS in the @sixers home W! #HereTheyCome pic.twitter.com/dkYWnwzle4— NBA (@NBA) March 21, 2019
There is no other player on the 76ers’ roster like Butler.
That’s a gift and a curse for a loaded team that has enough talent on paper, but also seems like it’s still a piece away from legitimate championship contention.
Joel Embiid is the most dominant center in the NBA. Tobias Harris is the ultimate glue guy, a spot-up sniper who can put it on the floor in measured doses. Ben Simmons is a young Lebron James, a transition freight train and point guard in a forward’s body.
But in crunch time, Butler is still the best (and maybe only) perimeter shot creator on the Sixers roster. He is the only player who can do what he did to propel Philly to a win over Boston, unless Harris proves otherwise.
Since coming to Philly in November, Butler only averages 2.6 points for the Sixers in crunch time — which the NBA defines as the final five minutes of a game that’s within five points’ reach — but he shoots 46.6 percent from the field and 40 percent from three in those situations. This is why the 76ers traded two key role players in Robert Covington and Dario Saric for the Timberwolves’ embattled star.
That’s why Butler will earn his next contract in April and beyond, not before
Butler is just averaging 18.8 points per game in Philadelphia this season, his lowest scoring output since Year 3 in Chicago. His fit has been awkward, especially in the first three quarters of games.
But when I talked to Butler in his first year in Minnesota, I learned one very important thing: stats do not matter to this man, only winning.
If Butler can leave his fingerprint all over winning, it won’t matter what he’s averaging at the end of the year. Philly’s star will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. His next contract — max or near max — will come from a team that wants a winner on its roster, be it Philadelphia or somewhere else. He is in the driver’s seat of the next chapter of his career.
Butler isn’t without flaws. After all, for the first three quarters, he only had seven points on 2-of-9 shooting and missed all four of his threes. The Sixers outscored the Celtics by three in the 25 minutes Butler played during the first three quarters, but he hadn’t left his mark on the game. If Philly had gone on to lose, his impact, or lack thereof, in a game with playoff implications would have been the story.
There were also the shots leading up to the game winner. Butler took two questionable threes that killed Philly’s momentum and sucked the life out of Wells Fargo Arena. Had he not made that shot to seal the game, the story would have been about Butler’s shot selection, and whether he should be taking those shots in crunch time or feeding the All-Star horse in the paint.
It’s funny how quickly a story can change if someone comes up big when it matters.
Butler didn’t miss that game-winner. He made it, and Embiid was the first person over to celebrate with him. Embiid and Butler reportedly made it clear to each other pregame that the two needed each other to win big.
If Butler comes up huge in the playoffs like he did against the Celtics, his value will establish itself.
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