The NBA typically gives the Most Improved Player award to someone who was productive all along, but didn't receive enough minutes to get gaudy stats. That wasn't the case last season when Jimmy Butler was the recipient. Butler played the same amount of minutes per game as the year before, but saw big improvements in almost every statistical category. He genuinely went from role player to star.
Jimmy Butler is proving last year’s breakout was no fluke
The Bulls have the second-best record in the East thanks to the improved play of their star wing.
Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
The challenge entering this season was to maintain that level, a tall task for anyone following such a huge leap. So far, Butler has looked even better, proving that his performance last year was anything but a fluke.
The Bulls need scoring and Butler has stepped up
With Tom Thibodeau gone, Butler’s playing time has decreased slightly, which is why his points per game stats look the same. A look at his numbers per-36 minutes on the court, however, show that he has improved as a scorer.
Butler has assumed more responsibility on offense, scoring at a greater clip while taking more two-point, three-point and free throw attempts. His 38 percent shooting from beyond the arc is particularly impressive, considering he's attempting three-pointers at a higher rate this season. There's been a small dip in his overall efficiency that can easily be explained by Butler creating his own shot on 46 percent of his makes. Last season, that number was 37 percent. It's generally harder to score off the dribble than off the catch.
Having a bigger role as a scorer hasn't prevented Butler from serving as an acceptable secondary playmaker, as he averages the same number of assists per 36 minutes (3.0) that he posted last season. Even better, his turnover percentage has only climbed slightly despite the added workload. In general, good things happen when Butler touches the ball on offense, which has been happening more than ever this season.
For someone who came into the league as an energy guy known for his defense, Butler surely has improved a lot on the other end. He emerged as a viable first option last season and has only gotten better this year.
Butler’s defense remains elite
A bigger offensive role can distract players from other activities that require effort, so defense is typically the first thing to suffer. That hasn’t been the case with Butler. Among players who defend at least 10 shot attempts per game, he ranks 19th in percentage point differential (actual field goal percentage minus expected field goal percentage) in the entire league and seventh among wings. And he’s doing that while guarding the opponent’s best perimeter threat more often than not.
The Bulls have beaten LeBron James' Cavaliers, Kevin Durant's Thunder and Paul George's Pacers. He hasn't shut down any of those guys because few can, but has made them work all game long. Butler seems to have an endless reservoir of energy, which allows him to be effective at both ends while averaging 36 minutes per game. Even in the final seconds, he can make plays, as he showed when he blocked George's game-winning attempt.
Butler is a two-way player who can impact the game on either end and still welcomes the challenge of containing elite scorers despite being asked to carry an offense himself.
He could be even better in a more stable environment
Butler has been forced into a big role and he has embraced it. He relishes the opportunity to have the ball in his hands and be a leader. Yet the reality is that he’s being asked to do too much because the Bulls need someone who can consistently produce from the perimeter.
The starting lineup has changed several times. Starting small forward Mike Dunleavy Jr. hasn't even made his season debut, so Tony Snell and Doug McDermott have both received a shot at the wing. Both have shot well but neither has come close to making the impact Dunleavy has on the team in other aspects. Derrick Rose, meanwhile, is dealing with double vision and shooting 38 percent from the field.
There’s a reason the Bulls rank 24th in the league in offensive efficiency: the only perimeter player performing well on that end consistently is Butler. With better spacing, more weapons to take pressure off of him and a more stable rotation, Butler could pick his spots better on offense and focus on defense when facing tough matchups.
Butler is carrying the Bulls now, but he shouldn’t have to. If the team improves, he will too.
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Few unheralded players make a leap like the one Butler made last season. It’s even rarer for them to then take another step forward, like he has done this season. The Bulls have a special player, a true two-way force they can build around.
Hopefully the rest of the team’s featured scorers will return to the level they’ve enjoyed in recent years and his great season doesn’t go to waste.
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