Dunking With Wolves
Fansided

Minnesota Timberwolves: Jimmy Butler’s go-to scoring guide

By Brian Sampson

Dec 13, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) attempts to pass the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 13, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) attempts to pass the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 7
Next
Feb 27, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (center) drives between Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio (left) and guard Gary Neal (right) during the second half at the United Center. Chicago won 96-89. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 27, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (center) drives between Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio (left) and guard Gary Neal (right) during the second half at the United Center. Chicago won 96-89. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /

Jimmy Butler is a dynamic scorer and playmaker who has a diverse set of offensive moves he can rely on.

Now that we have all gotten over the shock of Jimmy Butler being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, we can finally figure out what it all means.

Many Wolves fans haven’t seen much of Butler over the years, being that he has played in the Eastern Conference. We have maybe seen him twice a year when the Wolves play the Bulls but outside of that, he might be relatively unknown.

Sure, we’ve seen the highlights, read about how good of a player he is, or know his reputation. However, we have yet to see what he can do with our own eyes- both the good and bad.

That’s what I’m here for. I have scoured over 20 of his games from last season to figure out exactly what he has to offer the Timberwolves. My focus was his scoring arsenal and the efficiency in which he scores from his favorite spots.

One fact was immediately clear: Butler has a diverse game which allows him to rely on many moves and counters to get off his own shot. Especially compared to Andrew Wiggins, whose moves I previously dissected.

More from Dunking with Wolves

Butler isn’t the most physically gifted so he has to allow on sound fundamentals and a high basketball IQ to replace that athleticism. Don’t get me wrong, Butler is a good athlete, he’s just not a great one.

He does a great job of using ball fakes and understanding defensive positioning to maximize his shot attempts and trips to the free throw line.

Butler also understands how to use his body against smaller defenders. He is an opportunist and often takes advantage of mismatches by taking his man down-low.

He still has to do some re-defining on some of his moves but he is already a good scorer. Without further ado, let’s plunge into Butler’s go-to scoring moves.