Is Jimmy Butler a top-10 player?

PolarBear

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Jimmy has certainly taken his game to another level this year, something many of us thought he might not have been able to do after a career year last year.

He has stepped up his scoring and has become a more efficient player. With his continued improvement and the play we have seen so far this season, has Jimmy climbed into top 10 status?

Here would be the players I would put above him -

Lebron James
Kevin Durant
Stephen Curry
Russell Westbrook
James Harden
Damian Lillard
Anthony Davis
Kawhi Leonard

After those 8 players, I think Jimmy enters the debate along with players like Giannis, Paul George, Kyrie Irving, Demarcus Cousins, Karl Anthony Towns and Chris Paul.

Anybody got Jimmy in their top 10? If he keeps up this similar play, I would put Jimmy in at 9.
 

Axl Rose

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yeah i think hes top 10

though its so close that wouldn't be mad if somebody gave the edge to DMC/Giannis

Jimmy's numbers on the season: 25-6-4 .608 TS% 27.77 PER
 

Gustavus Adolphus

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He has certainly been playing like one the last few weeks.
 

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So.. championship?
 

Benchmob757

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If he's not top 10 then he's knocking on the door. When he was drafted I thought he'd be a good player, but not quite this good so he has exceeded my expectations. Probably won't ever get to that upper echelon of superstar players but he's quite the baller.


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czman

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He is around top 10 probably. it really depends on if you want to put position value or not on where he would fall. I don't see him as a good enough player to be the best on a championship team. After the top top 3-5 players it doesn't really matter that much where you rank them most years. Usually the difference between the very top and the next tier is pretty large. Butler is a second tier player right now. He probably moved up from a third tier player.

I still worry about him staying healthy and question if he can/should keep up a 10FTA per game average. That is a lot of contact and hitting the floor.

If he continues to improve his jumpshot he is tailor made for the new NBA.
 

RoseMVP1

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I'd say he's definitely top 10 now. I think he's surpassed Paul George. He's not better than Giannis. If that guy can develop some shooting ability he might end up being the best player in the league once lebron regresses/retires.
 

Axl Rose

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I wish i could find the thread where i was propping up Giannis before the draft.

Ive made some egregious predictions on here but that was one i had right.

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i want this guy...but hes quickly becoming a lotto pick...if he was to fall to us which is unlikely i hope we take him

i really like giannis (im a sucker for anybody that tall with ball handling/passing skills and thats athletic) but he is a project i think they'll take a more nba ready guy but i wouldnt mind if they drafted him at all

but i agree he could be a steal

not as enthusiastic as i remember but i def remember being intrigued by his size and skill at the time
 

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If Jimmy can transfer his regular season numbers to playoff wins, then he's a top 10 player. IMO, that is the only argument against him. Being a late selection in the draft, he's also given more development time. With his contract, none of that matters now.

He's the 36th highest paid player in the league. Most of the old guys retired, Dirk is really the only guy left on the list getting paid due to team loyalty. Really, more than anything else, the Bulls have one of the best bargain contracts in the NBA in Jimmy for the next few seasons. Maybe even THE best contract, not on a rookie payscale.
 

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I'd put Paul George and Chris Paul above him.
 

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He's right on the outside looking in. Really close, but I don't think he's quite top ten yet.
 

AussieBear

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fuck jimmy.. knicks bitches...

mad respekts to jimmy though...hes a long way from being homeless kid in tx.... tough early life.... good for him.. and kudos for working his way to becoming a top 10-20 player...

we bleed orange and blue round hurr though..

bears...
knicks...
 

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Do you think he got better or he got a couple real PGs?

I mean one who runs the offense, and clearly doesn't frustrate him.

And a player in Wade who shares also. And an actual post man to go in out. Not just in (gasol) or just out (Noah).

Wade also got him watching film with a purpose, so he is able to make quicker reads in the game and be part of the flow on both sides of the ball.

Watching Wade I also think he is right there. So two top 30 players, plus Rondo and Lopez supported by an army of plus role players. This team will be a tough out when the time comes.

I hope everyone is also rooting for Sacramento nightly. Hopefully they keep Cousins and Gay again and somehow sneak into giving us the 11th pick or something. Then the year after we get Cousins in free agency when Wade/Rondo slide off the books.
 

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He's a top ten player. I'd put him at 8 over-all. What many over-look is his defense which is hard to put a number to.
 

Raskolnikov

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Cousins. Anthony Davis. Towns.

There are alot of guys left off that list. The Paul George question is tough. Top ten seems too tight for Jimmy.
 

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Jimmy buckets is a franchise face
It will take another season or 2 to put him top 10? I think
 

Axl Rose

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think i might have to slip him out of the top 10

Jimmy has been horrible in the clutch this year from what ive seen
 

Raskolnikov

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think i might have to slip him out of the top 10

Jimmy has been horrible in the clutch this year from what ive seen

I feel that is just because he is not a great pure shooter. When the D is tight and focused on him, and he has to jack one, its a bad position for the Bulls. We are not great finishers and need to control games with our depth and onslaught of penetration.

and as a team we kinda force it and play iso in those situations, when given the number of quality players we have we should be running elaborate plays imo, passing 3-5 times and creating an open man. Wade/Butler/Lopez/McD should all be trusted at end of games to do their thing on offense.
 

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