Beyond the Arc
by Ben Fiore
Jimmy Butler still to this day might be one of the most under appreciated hoopers in this era. Always underrated, never considered a super star. But he should be and he’s been proving that as of late.
Jimmy was a impoverished child who grew up in Tomball, Texas. He had a tough road, being a homeless teenager thriving on basketball with almost no looks but was able to get into Marquette and eventually be a draft pick of the Chicago Bulls. He was the #2 guy during the Derrick Rose era there which is why I believe he was overshadowed at first. Then he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2017-2018 and led them to the playoffs. Then he went to the Philadelphia 76ers and also had a playoff run there.
This past off season he signed with the Miami Heat who were not even expected to make the playoffs. But here they are being led by this man sweeping the Indiana Pacers in round 1 and shocking the world by taking a 4-1 series victory on the Milwaukee Bucks. This lands them in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2014 in the James, Wade, Bosh era.
Coach Erik Spoelstra said “He’s what we’re about and we’re what he’s about. It feels like he should have been here a long time ago”. Butler’s tenacity, intensity and work ethic have always been admired by many but have now been adopted by this relatively young Miami Heat squad.
This article is biased because for years he’s been my favorite ACTIVE NBA player and definitely in my top 5 all time. He’s the biggest proponent of why I go by “Benny Buckets”. With all favoritism aside, he’s proven his worth.
The only thing alluding him at this point is an NBA championship. He’s turned into a leader, an all-star, a super star, and we can only imagine what is next for the Jimmy Buckets.
thoughtsfromthebench.com 