Minnesota Timberwolves: Top defensive lineup

Jimmy Butler

In arguably the biggest move of this offseason, Thibodeau reunited himself with Jimmy Butler and got him for a pretty good price. All eyes will be on Butler this season, he is the player who should push the Wolves over the line to be a contender.

Widely regarded as one of the best two-way guards in the NBA, Butler registered .051 defensive win shares this past season, which was good enough for 12th in the league. He has been named to three NBA All-Defensive teams over his career, and should provide a huge boost to this faltering defense. He comes to this team already familiar with Thibodeau and his defensive system, so he can jump right in and lead the team in the right direction.

Over his career, Butler has averaged 1.5 steals per game and .5 blocks per game playing as a shooting guard and a small forward. As a 6’7” wing, he is a versatile defender and can defend all over the floor and take some pressure off of his teammates, namely Andrew Wiggins. With Butler playing on the wing with Wiggins, it allows Wiggins to defend weaker players and play to his strengths.

With 38 games of playoff experience, Butler will be most crucial to the team once April rolls around. The Wolves’ young nucleus have little to no playoff games under their belt but Butler is a seasoned veteran. His defense on players like Paul George or Kawhi Leonard could prove to be vital.