Getty Philadelphia 76ers guard Jimmy Butler
With the news that Philadelphia 76ers guard Jimmy Butler would be sidelined for a second consecutive game Wednesday, it led to some obvious concern. While Butler has impressed for the most part during his short stint with the Sixers, it’s led to plenty of excitement about his future with the team. But in his immediate future, he’ll be stuck on the bench while watching his current team due to a wrist injury.
Philly welcomes the San Antonio Spurs to town for a nationally-televised game which is bound to draw plenty of attention Wednesday night. Although Butler is unable to go for this game, it doesn’t seem that the injury is overly serious, at least not from the early returns. That’s a great sign, as Butler has looked solid through his first 28 games with the Sixers. Over that stretches, he’s averaging 19.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 47.5 percent from the field.
Just ahead of Wednesday’s game, Sixers coach Brett Brown spoke about the 29-year-old guard who was acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves and offered a positive outlook.
Jimmy Butler’s Injury Update
Before anything, it’s worth noting that Brown revealed he expected that Butler would be able to play against the Spurs. As Sixers analyst Jon Johnson revealed, the sprained wrist he suffered also came on the same wrist he had surgery on. While none of that exactly screams optimism, the next bits of info from the coach turned the tides.
According to The Athletic’s Rich Hofmann, Brown indicated that Butler shouldn’t be out long, which at least helps ease the concern to some extent.
Jimmy Butler is wearing some sort of brace on his right wrist. When asked about what it is, he says, “I plead the fifth.” Brett Brown before the game indicated that he doesn’t expect Butler to be out much longer.
From the sound of it, the Sixers guard didn’t seem to be overly concerned by the injury. The fact he’s wearing a brace is understandable, but it’s a positive sign that the injury didn’t prove to be more than this. And with Wednesday marking the second game Butler has been sidelined, he’s surely been under the close watch of the medical staff as well.
Sixers’ Success With Jimmy Butler
The Sixers currently sit with a 31-17 record heading into Monday, and of the 28 games Butler has played in, the team has put together an impressive 19-9 record. Five of those losses have come by seven or fewer points as well. Although Philadelphia has lost a few games they should have won, his tenure with the team, at least in terms of on-court production, has been a success thus far.
While Butler has taken a backseat from a scoring perspective at times, he’s still stepped up when his number has been called. Of the 28 games in Philly, Butler has scored 19 or more points on 15 occasions, and the Sixers have won 10 of those games.
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