Getty Jimmy Butler
The new guy in town went off for 28 points in Friday night’s win against the Utah Jazz, showing his versatility as a player and just why the Sixers are justifiably psyched to have him in Philadelphia.
Butler did it all. He made tough shots, strong cuts, and crunch time decisions. He looks like a cohesive part of this team already, and a solid win over a good Jazz team is just the way to bounce back from the team’s recent loss against the Orlando Magic.
He seems to be fitting in in Philadelphia, and he wasn’t shy about admitting how much he loves his new gig in a postgame interview:
Jimmy throwing shade? 🤔
“This crowd was rockin’. We did what we were supposed to do. It’s so fun to win–it’s so much more fun to play with these guys.”
The statement is loaded with Butler’s characteristic bluntness, and it doesn’t come as much of a surprise. The All-Star has been the talk of the league for months because of in-practice blowups and thinly veiled (if at all) dissatisfaction with his former Timberwolves team. He was openly dissatisfied with the work ethic of players like Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins: young and talented players who weren’t as interested as Butler in “the grind”–but he seems to have found the type of teammates he’s been looking for in Philadelphia.
When asked what it is about his new team that makes them so easy–and fun–to play with, Butler responded, “Everybody wants to win. And when somebody messes up, you talk to them, they don’t take it personal, and they do their job. I think everybody’s such a good basketball player, and we all want to do right, and sometimes you mess up.”
As if it wasn’t already obvious who and what he was referring to, he didn’t stop there. Finishing the interview, he was asked what he thinks of his new teammates overall. He didn’t hesitate in responding that the Sixers are “talented. Hard workers. And their will to win is unmatchable.”
The Timberwolves hear him loud and clear.
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