Will Jimmy Butler stay if Tom Thibodeau gets fired?

Expectations were riding sky-high in Minnesota after a busy offseason for the Timberwolves. And despite a playoff-worthy start to the season, things aren’t quite as rosy as the standings may suggest.

Over the course of the first 30 games of the season, Timberwolves fans have flipped their expectations from one extreme to another.

Thanks to a productive offseason, fans have expected a lot, and rightly so. For the last decade-plus, folks have just assumed that every season would be another spent in the lottery. Nothing but watching the losses and seeing the silver lining of added ping-pong balls in the draft lottery.

However, due to the additions of Jimmy Butler, Jeff Teague, and role players like Jeff Teague and Jamal Crawford, Wolves fans have set their sights sky-high. They are no longer satisfied with gritty wins and winning records. With the talent we see on the floor, fans want a 50-win season and a top-four seed in the Western Conference. The same high expectations go for head coach Tom Thibodeau.

I feel like a broken record, repeating the same thing over and over, but this team has a winning record and is currently in the playoffs. I know that wanting the Wolves to get in isn’t good enough, but they need to start somewhere.

And already, with Thibs playing his starters what seems like a crazy amount of minutes and not using the bench nearly enough, some people have come out wanting to see Thibs fired. They say that his coaching style doesn’t fit the young players of today and his minutes are going to make the starters worn out come (knock on wood) playoff time.

If ownership does follow some of the fan requests and fire Thibs, they will have a serious issue. And I’m not talking about this team not making the playoffs or not being able to sign Karl-Anthony Towns long-term.

Let’s look ahead two years to when Butler will almost certainly decline his player option in order to become a free agent and make some more money. What if the former Marquette Golden Eagle feels like the Wolves betrayed him by cutting Thibs loose? Would he want to re-sign in Minnesota?

It is no secret that the current Wolves coach and Jimmy Buckets have a good relationship; Butler turned into a great two-way player under the teachings of Thibs. They both share the same type of in-your-face attitude and teaching style on the court. They even have the same dry sense of humor.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is Butler’s former coach in Chicago, Fred Hoiberg. It is no secret that Butler and the former Iowa State coach butted heads. Butler has even been outspoken about the fact that he knew it was either going to be him or Hoiberg leaving during the offseason.

More from Dunking with Wolves

• The dream starting 5 for Minnesota Timberwolves 5 years from now
• Anthony Edwards’ latest accolade is a great sign of things to come
• In an OT thriller, Team Canada snatches Bronze from Team USA
• Timberwolves start, bench, cut: Mike Conley, Shake Milton, Jordan McLaughlin
• Which Timberwolves roster additions have upgraded the bench?

If I were Butler and saw Coach Thibs leave, I would have three things on my list (outside of money) in order to keep me in the Land of 10,000 Lakes: an established coach, a commitment to continue adding quality players, and actually winning.

Bringing in a veteran coach would be very important and an obvious decision. Owner Glen Taylor understood two years ago that, with the plethora of young talent and the direction they were going, he needed to bring in a veteran coach. With an established ‘big three’ of Butler, Towns, and Andrew Wiggins, finding a coach would not be difficult. Guys like Jeff Van Gundy and Monty Williams would be names to keep in mind from an “established coach” perspective.

(I am in no way saying that Thibs job is or should be in danger, especially if he takes the Wolves to the postseason. Just exploring the possibility that the hopes of some fans may come true.)

Second on Butler’s checklist would be adding quality pieces. I understand that money will be a bit tight when you factor in KAT’s extension to a cap that already has Wiggins’ max contact. Adding smart role players who fit the team’s system is just as important as adding big name guys. Players like Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala are just as important to the Golden State Warriors as Kevin Durant and Steph Curry.

Last but not least, on his list would be continue to win. Winning is ultimately what everyone wants to do. Whether you win in Cleveland, New York, or Minnesota, all you want is to hoist that trophy at the end of the season. With the core the Wolves currently have, winning both now and in the future should not be much of an issue.

Look, Thibs probably isn’t getting fired this year. He has this team firmly planted in the playoff hunt and has enough talent around him to make a run into the second round. The main reason people don’t think he is right for this job is because he plays his starters a crazy amount of minutes. On Thursday, however, Thibs might have shown that he has seen the light. No starter for Minnesota played close to 40 minutes against the Kings:

If, for whatever reason, Thibs was to be relieved of duties, I believe Butler would stay beyond the 2018-19 season. Glen Taylor has shown he is committed to winning and not being a team that regularly shows up in the top-five of the NBA draft lottery.

Next: An examination of Andrew Wiggins' shooting woes

For those who are more worried than me, you can rest easy for now. The Wolves still have Butler under contract for next season. Just relax and watch some winning Timberwolves basketball. (God, it feels good to say that.)