Is Jimmy becoming kind of underrated around here?

[tennischamp5]

It looks like Jimmy is one of only a handful active players on that list.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=single&type=totals&per_minute_base=36&per_poss_base=100&lg_id=NBA&is_playoffs=N&year_min=1947&year_max=2016&franch_id=&season_start=1&season_end=-1&age_min=0&age_max=99&height_min=0&height_max=99&shoot_hand=&birth_country_is=Y&birth_country=&birth_state=&college_id=&draft_year=&is_active=Y&debut_yr_nba_start=&debut_yr_nba_end=&debut_yr_aba_start=&debut_yr_aba_end=&is_hof=&is_as=&as_comp=gt&as_val=&award=&pos_is_g=Y&pos_is_gf=Y&pos_is_f=Y&pos_is_fg=Y&pos_is_fc=Y&pos_is_c=Y&pos_is_cf=Y&qual=&c1stat=pts_per_g&c1comp=gt&c1val=20.8&c2stat=ast_per_g&c2comp=gt&c2val=4.7&c3stat=trb_per_g&c3comp=gt&c3val=5.2&c4stat=blk_per_g&c4comp=gt&c4val=0.5&c5stat=stl_per_g&c5comp=gt&c6mult=1.5&c6stat=&order_by=ws

Though all this does is highlight how you can skew stats to show anything. Every arbitrary cutoff made leaves out more players :p This doesn't necessarily mean Jimmy is in the top 10 in the league :p Though he always will be to me

[TheSuzerain]

Judging by some of the trade offers people are willing to accept, he is definitely becoming underrated.

Jimmy will put up crazy numbers this year now that he'll have the usage% of a #1 option. Not to mention more space to work with with Rose and Gasol gone. It's pretty much going to be the Jimmy Butler show.

[musiqsoulchild]

Great thread!

Just because Jimmy by himself is not good enough to win a ring doesn't mean that he's not damn good in his own right.

He's been our clear best player for 2 seasons now.

I do want him to focus more on facilitating and defense even if it comes at the cost of his scoring.

[Shill]

He likely never will be a number 1 option, but I still don't see a great reason to give away a player like him right now. Certainly not for the deals that were being mentioned on draft night.

IMO Jimmy is properly rated, and draft night showed that.

He's a 27-year-old all-star on a great contract who was readily available, yet nobody made a Godfather offer. If he were a superstar, Boston would've gladly given up those future Brooklyn picks. Minny would've upped their offer to make the deal happen. If he were a superstar, he likely wouldn't even have been available.

I understand the argument for keeping Jimmy. He's a great player. I just think the full rebuild is the better play, partly because I can stomach watching bad basketball.

[MGB8]

He likely never will be a number 1 option, but I still don't see a great reason to give away a player like him right now. Certainly not for the deals that were being mentioned on draft night.

IMO Jimmy is properly rated, and draft night showed that.

He's a 27-year-old all-star on a great contract who was readily available, yet nobody made a Godfather offer. If he were a superstar, Boston would've gladly given up those future Brooklyn picks. Minny would've upped their offer to make the deal happen. If he were a superstar, he likely wouldn't even have been available.

I understand the argument for keeping Jimmy. He's a great player. I just think the full rebuild is the better play, partly because I can stomach watching bad basketball.

Not sure that he's overrated - the question is what do you value? Is Jimmy a guy like Lebron or Durant or Chris Paul that, by having that guy on your team, the team is pretty much guaranteed to make it to the playoffs? No - he's not that.

Is he the next tier level down - a guy like a Harden or Anthony Davis (to this point) or John Wall or Dwayne Wade (at this point in his career) or LaMarcus Aldridge or Paul George or maybe Derozan - who would be a solid #2 player on a contending team, but can't really carry a team to the playoffs on his own? Darn straight he is. Sad thing is that while there are only a handful of guys in the "true superstar" class, their really are only one two two dozen guys in that next tier down. And we've at least got one of them.

Not worth trading that away unless it is for a really good deal. And the Bulls are not in as bad a shape as many think, IMO. If one of Grant, Dinwiddie or Valentine show that they can man the PG (and or the SG next to one of the other guys, with Jimmy at the 3), then, right now, the Bulls should be a competitive, treadmill-ish team (so long as Hoiberg improves a little bit, and we get good enough play at the 3 and 4 - likely if we don't move MDJ and Taj, and not that unlikely even if we do).

[kurtatx]

The Bulls don't undervalue him (They tried to get Wiggins and Dunn for him, which is a ton), we probably don't undervalue him, but it's clear the rest of the league does. The number of rumors circulating about his attitude and the way he was favored by the FO probably doesn't help his value, either.

[Mech Engineer]

His numbers were even better before the injury too.

As hard as he works, and is working, wouldn't surprise me if Jimmy had his best year yet this upcoming season.

And, his stats last year was with Pau/Derrick taking their share of isos and mucking up the offense/touches for him.

People do not seem to appreciate marginal improvements or even big improvements once the stone has been cast in the drafting reports/early part of their career. It is the same with Taj too because he didn't get a big role in the beginning of his career.

Look at Derrick. He was a must-watch even in high school and obviously came with peak athleticism/fanfare. And, what did Pax do as soon as he drafted him. He proclaimed that we are going to build around him(nothing wrong). There was not even plays run for Jimmy until last year. It is just a lot of old myths acting here with the fans/media. They do not want to believe Jimmy can get points against almost any defender in the league when it matters.

It is not easy for guys like Jimmy to satisfy people until they win. They are not given the benefit of doubt because it is assumed that they are not good enough to begin with.

For me, the most important aspect of a player is their ability to improve, adjust their game which determines how far they go. Guys like Dwight and even Derrick have never added a significant aspect to their game. That's why so many "so-called" stars or even guys who look like all-stars/make all-rookie teams etc... don't go anywhere. That is what matters eventually in winning games and not some draft day predictions.

[blumeany]

I see Jimmy as a very, very good player, but I don't see him as someone who can overpower another team on his own. They definitely have to account for him, but his skills are not at that 'elite' level. I'd put him near that Pippen level - a guy that was very, very good, but he was never 'the guy'.

Another reason that people might be more willing to part with Jimmy is that they feel that this team is in rebuild mode even if they keep saying they aren't. Jimmy's talents will be a waste here at this point. There may be more value in 'selling high' and then aiming to gather young assets that will develop and peak together.

[Am2626]

Jimmy's going to be in the MVP conversation next year... you heard it here first.

For that to happen, the Bulls would have to be a legitimate championship contender. That's not happening next year so no matter how well Jimmy plays, he's not going to be considered if he is leading a bad or even average team.

[kurtatx]

If Jimmy doesn't have his best season this season, get ready for a nice draft pick next offseason.

[ATRAIN53]

Russel Westbrook 7.2 FTA PG

Jimmy Butler 7.1 FTA PG

Guys with less than 7 FTA per game last year:

Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Blake Griffin, Derrick Rose......

Being able to take it to the hole is an elite NBA skill. It seperates the men from the boys in the post season.
If Steph Curry could do it, GSW would have beat CLE in the Finals. They lived and died by the jump shot, while CLE put them in foul trouble trying to stop LeBron getting to the rack.

Jimmy HAS this skill and mindset, that just cannot be underrated.

When Derrick had it he won an MVP award...

[push]

Jimmy is a great player to have on our team but I think this coming year people will understand he isn't the "one"


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[DASMACKDOWN]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB8B2ni6sKA[/youtube]

[RedBulls23]

He likely never will be a number 1 option, but I still don't see a great reason to give away a player like him right now. Certainly not for the deals that were being mentioned on draft night.

IMO Jimmy is properly rated, and draft night showed that.

He's a 27-year-old all-star on a great contract who was readily available, yet nobody made a Godfather offer. If he were a superstar, Boston would've gladly given up those future Brooklyn picks. Minny would've upped their offer to make the deal happen. If he were a superstar, he likely wouldn't even have been available.

I understand the argument for keeping Jimmy. He's a great player. I just think the full rebuild is the better play, partly because I can stomach watching bad basketball.

Eh...that could just mean another FO trying to steal Jimmy thinking they can get one over on the FO.

I think if Jimmy was on a better team the past couple of years, he would have made a all-nba team or two. Last year missing the playoffs 100% affected him in that regards.

[The Box Office]

I see Jimmy as a very, very good player, but I don't see him as someone who can overpower another team on his own. They definitely have to account for him, but his skills are not at that 'elite' level. I'd put him near that Pippen level - a guy that was very, very good, but he was never 'the guy'.

Another reason that people might be more willing to part with Jimmy is that they feel that this team is in rebuild mode even if they keep saying they aren't. Jimmy's talents will be a waste here at this point. There may be more value in 'selling high' and then aiming to gather young assets that will develop and peak together.

Well said. His age and his calling out people antics are the only probs I have. He is not going to be a MVP candidate next season because the team stinks. He can probably be All NBA 3rd team, but only if he does not fade away as the season goes on.

[DASMACKDOWN]

Jimmy is a great player to have ok our team but I think this coming year people will understand he isn't the "one"


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He doesn't have to be. I just totally disagree with the twisted notion that everyone has to be a dominant number 1, if not its trash.

If you moved Jimmy Butler, you would want someone just like him later.

If you had Klay or Kyrie whatever on their own teams without Lebron or Curry they are probably non playoff teams. But add them with a guy better than they are, they are a title team as what was proven.

My hope is we improve enough in short period, and hope to groom or pickup a player better than Jimmy to gets us back to a championship.

[RememberLu]

The time is ticking on Jimmy. People say 27 ain't old but he'll be 30 before we know it. Blink of an eye.

[cubbiefan009]

He is a top 15 arguably 10 player in the league. Not underrated by me.

[Dan Z]

http://www.nba.com/video/channels/nba_tv/2014/12/03/20141202-isiah-on-point.nba/

[TheSuzerain]

Jimmy is currently 26.