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alucryts wrote:I've done a bit of research on Butler and I like the pick a lot. He is definitely the type of guy that will literally do everything he is asked to do on a team. In his limited highlights and game footage that is actually out there, he has shown a knack for finishing at the rim and grabbing offensive boards. He seems to finish well through contact and is excellent at getting to the line (also decent at ft shooting).
One of the key notes I found on him was the idea that the Bulls seem to be relying on the fact that he has shown improvements on his shot. I saw multiple places that his mid range game has improved a lot more in both actual production and confidence. If you give this guy range on his jump shot out to the NBA three point line, he can be a very, very good player for us. The fact that he has shown mid range improvement and is a decent free throw shooter combines with his work ethic to bode well for his future as a shooter. I'm by no means saying he's going to improve it and become a steal, but if he does Butler will be a major steal in the draft. His 3 point shot is going to be the biggest factor for him in his NBA career with the Bulls.
Another interesting bit of information I came across was the fact that he used to be a big scorer. When he first entered college (not the D1 level, it was a minor college), he said that he put up a few 30 and 40 point games before he got noticed by the D1 schools. It was after he was drafted is when Marquette asked him to essentially shed the scorer title and become a more well rounded player. That is when he made his game all about being the jack of all trades, master of none. He may have a bit more scoring talent than he showed on the D1 level.
Scoring by year on the D1 level:
Sophomore: 62.7% ts% on 3.05 fga, 5.6 ppg, 3.2 fta/g, 76.7% ft%
Junior: 64.5% ts% on 8.2 fga, 14.6 ppg, 7.17 fta/g, 76.6% ft%
Senior: 59.7% ts% on 10.3 fga, 15.7 ppg, 6.48 fta/g, 78.33% ft%
What can he do in the NBA for the Bulls in my opinion? Well I have no doubts in my mind he can play either sg or sf from all the information that I have gathered. He has been asked to guard everything from point guards to power forwards at the college level; he consistently guarded the other teams best player. From that, to me it is clear he will not be a liability defensively whether he ends up at the sg spot or playing sf, and he will become a plus on the defensive side giving the defense the ability to switch defensively and not suffer a mismatch. On offense, if Butler keeps a decent mid range game and does not add a three point shot, he will be the career backup of Luol Deng as his best outlook on the Bulls. If Butler adds range to the three point line and develops a good shot, he could potentially start at sg with his talent. Jimmy Butler with a three point shot is quite solidly a strong player on any NBA team.
This year, I expect him to be the person that allows Luol to sit a bit more. His potential to be a long-range threat is something that will come into play in my opinion a year or two down the road as he has more of a chance to develop it. His three point shot is the key to his career as it has been for a lot of players coming into the NBA. His ceiling in our system is a decent starting shooting guard with strong defense. It will be interesting to see if he can continue to develop his shot as well as how the Bulls use him. He is definitely a bit raw in the sense that he has shown the ability to add to his game combined with the fact that he is just beginning to take the learning curve as a shooter (mostly spot up). The Bulls took Butler in my opinion gambling on the idea that he can develop a three point shot.
