Jimmy Butler had to know it was coming, especially once he broke one of Michael Jordan’s records.
The Bulls All-Star guard was asked Wednesday who he thought was the best shooting guard in the league. He wasn’t having any of it.
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“You’re not going to draw me into that nonsense,” Butler told reporters.
Given the pushback that Warriors guard Klay Thompson received when he declared himself the best shooting guard in the NBA, it’s understandable that Butler wants to stay away from the debate.
But while he's keeping his mouth shut, his game has been speaking volumes lately. And it's saying that he belongs in the conversion along with Thompson and James Harden.
Harden has better numbers (28.1 points, 6.7 assists per game) than Butler this season, but he turns the ball over at a much higher clip (4.6 turnovers per game for Harden vs. 1.9 per game for Butler) and his shooting percentage is lower as well (41.7 for Harden compared to 45.9 for Butler).
Thompson shoots a higher percentage than Butler from the field (46.6 percent) and the 3-point line (43.5) but Butler has the edge in most other statistical categories, including scoring. Thompson also doesn’t have to worry about being the defense’s main focus as long as Stephen Curry is on the floor.
Butler had a breakout season last year, averaging 20 points per game, becoming an All-Star for the first time, and winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player award.
He has continued his improvement this season, averaging 22.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists.
Butler has been even better in the Bulls' past 10 games. He has averaged 24.9 points, 5.3 assists and 1.8 steals during that stretch while shooting just under 49 percent from the field. The Bulls have won their last five in a row, including a 115-113 comeback win against Raptors when Butler scored 40 points after halftime.
Again, Butler may think the conversation about the best player at his position is nonsense, and that's fine. But as long as he keeps playing like he has of late, his name will be in it for the rest of the season.