Jimmy Butler is one of the best players in the NBA today, but is he a top-five player in the league? Well, his former head coach Tom Thibodeau believes so.
“Jimmy Butler is a top 5 player in the league.”
“Jimmy Butler is a top 5 player in the league.”
– Tom Thibodeau
(Via @IraHeatBeat ) pic.twitter.com/Feta0kLqmw
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 25, 2023
Thibodeau coached Butler on the Chicago Bulls and the Minnesota Timberwolves, so there is probably a little bit of bias there. The 34-year-old has also been the kind of character that personifies how Thibodeau views the game, and the two certainly share some kind of bond.
Unfortunately for Butler, he couldn’t get the better of Thibodeau here, as the New York Knicks came back from down 21 to beat the Miami Heat 100-98. The six-time All-Star had a chance to win the game at the buzzer but missed a three-pointer.
KNICKS HOLD ON IN THE MUST-WIN ‼️
After coming back from down 21 points the Knicks held on to keep their East Group B hopes alive 👀
What a game. pic.twitter.com/i4bvXjw0p4
— NBA (@NBA) November 25, 2023
After the game, Butler, who had 23 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal in the contest, stated he thought it was going in and guaranteed that he’d make the next one.
“I thought that was going in, I thought the one I shot in the corner was going in,” Butler said. “I’m always going to go for the win and myself and everybody else is riding with me. We’re gonna live with the result but I guarantee I’m making the next one.”
Jimmy Butler on his final look:
“I thought that one was going in…I’m always going to go for the win.”
“I guarantee I’m making the next one.” pic.twitter.com/JKwtJDOGeK
— Brady Hawk (@BradyHawk305) November 25, 2023
The internet never forgets, so he better make it the next time he gets a chance, or he’ll get roasted. The loss dropped the Heat to 10-6 on the season and 2-1 in the In-Season Tournament. The Knicks, meanwhile, improved to 9-6 and 2-1.
Is Jimmy Butler A Top 5 Player?
Going back to Thibodeau’s initial remark on Butler being a top-five player, I’d have to disagree with him. Butler is great, but you can’t be that high if you continue to have mediocre regular seasons.
In 2023-24, he is averaging 21.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game while shooting 46.2% from the field. Those are good but not great numbers.
You can make an argument for him being a top-five player in the playoffs, as he certainly ups his game there. But, for someone to be a top-five player in the league, you need to consistently play at a high level throughout the year, which Butler does not.
Our ranking of the top 100 players for the 2023-24 season had Butler at 13. While you could argue about him being a couple of places higher, at the end of the day, he’s a fringe top-10 player at best.
Jimmy Butler’s Message To The Heat’s Doubters
The 2023-24 season has just been like so many others in recent times for the Heat. Ever since they failed to trade for Damian Lillard, no one’s really viewing them as serious contenders and Butler went off on the Heat’s doubters.
“Nobody’s gonna pick us, ever,” said Butler. “Nobody’s gonna pick us this year. No one’s ever gonna pick any team that I’m on, which is great, because I don’t give a f**k and I don’t like none of y’all anyways.”
No one outside of Miami thought the Heat were getting to the NBA Finals last season and at this point, it would be foolish to completely write them off. The odds seem stacked against them with just how strong the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks have looked, but that was the case in 2022-23 as well.
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