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Minnesota Timberwolves: Playing the Butler’s advocate

By Pat Hall

NEW ORLEANS, LA - NOVEMBER 29: Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Jimmy Butler #23 react during the second half of a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on November 29, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - NOVEMBER 29: Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Jimmy Butler #23 react during the second half of a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on November 29, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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Minnesota Timberwolves, Jimmy Butler
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – NOVEMBER 28: Jimmy Butler #23 of the Minnesota Timberwolves. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

The Minnesota Timberwolves have had a rough start to the season, to say the least. But how much of it is genuinely Jimmy Butler’s fault?

The Timberwolves are 4-9 and losers of five consecutive games. And plenty of people place much of the blame for the team’s struggles on Jimmy Butler.

At all levels of sports, it’s easy to speculate as an outsider and pass judgment on what is happening on the inside of any given organization. A reporter may want to sell a story, television personalities need a popular take, and the passionate fan needs someone to blame if their team isn’t playing well.

“He’s out partying too much to focus on the team.”

“The coach has lost the locker room.”

“How did we not draft a quarterback in the first round?”

So many reporters and fans are ready to bury Jimmy Butler, the cursed villain, as the man who ruined the Timberwolves playoff chemistry and doomed them to a hole in the Western Conference standings that is too deep to crawl out of.

It’s easy to take that perspective, especially since that was the narrative that began all those weeks ago with a trade demand.

However, what we see when we watch Jimmy Butler play and when we listen to his postgame interviews are mere snapshots. What we as fans see on the outside is a glimpse, a small fraction of a professional sports organization that runs seven days a week and close to 365 days a year. The Minnesota Timberwolves don’t work just 48 minutes every other day.

After the Timberwolves’ 114-110 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night, Jimmy Butler commented once again on the effort of his team, as was reported in a USA Today article by Martin Rogers:

"“Very, very frustrating. To know that we were that close and all we got to do is rebound the basketball. That’s been the story for us thus far, we have been right there, we’ve been out rebounded. We have to figure out a way to go get the ball.” “We know what we have to do. I’d like to say it is going to be better the next game.”"

Critics of the team are very quick to look at this and once again shake their heads at “toxic” Jimmy Butler, dragging his bad attitude to the Timberwolves locker room.

But to play devil’s advocate for a moment, is that really fair? Butler uses the words “we” and “us” regularly, but so many ignore that, turning his words into criticism of his teammates.

Is it possible that Jimmy Butler is a scapegoat? Is it possible that Butler, ever the Thibodeau disciple, is just tough? It is possible that Butler is on a mission, and that mission is a direct product of his ability being mishandled by the organization?

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