Jimmy Butler Changes Everything
Credit: Bleacher Report
The blockbuster Jimmy Butler trade sent shock-waves through the NBA just a couple weeks ago. Elton Brand cemented his first major move as an NBA GM by acquiring the third piece of the Sixers’ “Big 3.”
Here’s 7 reasons how the move changes the team, both on and off the court:
An Off-the-Dribble Shot Creator
The Sixers FINALLY have a player who can create his own shot off the dribble. Before trading for Butler, the roster was loaded up with guys who could either create a shot or hit a shot someone else created. No one could really do both. Embiid can create his own shot and score in the post to an extent, but big men need spacing around them to avoid double teams and a entry pass creator to feed them. That’s perfectly fine, and Embiid has been playing on another level this year, but the Sixers so desperately needed a perimeter shot creator/scorer who they can give the ball to when they need to stop the bleeding on an opponent’s scoring streak, who can run the pick and roll as a ball handler, or create offense at the end of a close game for a go-ahead bucket. That’s exactly what the Sixers need when other parts of the half-court offense slow down, and should take the Sixers to the next level.
Lack of Depth
Despite the many benefits of the trade, it leaves the Sixers down a rotation player. As is expected when you trade two starters for one, this team desperately lacks a fifth starter/sixth man type of player. There has already been chatter about another move to find such a player, but the Sixers might have to wait until the buyout market season, as the team is over the cap and does not really have a moveable contract to make salaries match since Jerryd Bayless was moved in the Butler deal. Elton Brand will have to get creative and make another move before the deadline in February if this team will contend for the East.
Starpower
Oh how far we’ve come. Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Jimmy Butler may be the second best 3-man trio in the league behind, um, any three Warriors you’d like to pick. You could argue the Rockets’ James Harden, Chris Paul, Clint Capela trio are better just on the merits of Harden and Paul, but the Sixers clearly have the best big 3 in the East. Starpower is what the NBA is all about, and the Sixers starpower could earn them the privilege of getting swept by the Warriors in the NBA Finals, which would be insane considering where this team was just 2 or 3 seasons ago.
Less Focus on JJ
Perhaps no Sixer will benefit from Jimmy Butler’s presence like JJ Redick. Before Butler, opposing teams game plan for stopping the Sixers offense, after containing Simmons in transition, went like this: prevent Joel Embiid from establishing position in the post and give him a hard time when he does, then make sure that JJ Redick does not get open looks on the perimeter. Now, opponents have to consider Butler a higher priority above Redick. This has already led to Redick going up against lesser defenders, and will continue to lead to better looks at Butler grows more and more acclimated to the offense. There are few teams that will be able to handle the off-ball movement of Butler and Redick, while limiting Embiid’s post play and Simmons’s efficacy in transition. Once Butler gets going, anticipate Redick’s already elite shooting efficiency to only improve.
Markelle to the Bench
The addition of Jimmy Butler has led to Markelle Fultz’s move from the starting lineup to the bench and I think this is a great idea. Of course, this is all assuming Markelle actually returns to the team sometime soon. But that’s a whole other issue and should be addressed on its own. As long as Markelle doesn’t lose any more confidence along the way, only good things can come from this. It allows Markelle to play with the ball in his hands when Ben Simmons isn’t on the court, enabling Markelle to play to his existing strengths. It also puts him up against opposing teams’ bench players, most of whom Markelle has no problem getting through to get shots at the rim or getting to spots in the mid-range. These are great ways for Markelle to keep building confidence as an NBA player, and is the best way for him to potentially carve out a role in Brett Brown’s playoff rotation. Worry about Markelle’s fit with Ben Simmons when (if) Markelle finds his shooting stroke again. Until then, the Sixers are rightfully putting him in the best position to succeed in the short term.
Summer Free Agency
With Butler on the roster, the Sixers don’t need to rely on free agency to find a superstar. However, they’ll still have about $20 million in cap space if the keep Butler’s cap hold but let go of the holds on Wilson Chandler and JJ Redick. Hopefully, Redick and/or Chandler be willing to return on cheap deals. But the Sixers will need to use their remaining space well to fill out the roster with rotation depth. Notably, moving Markelle Fultz could free up an additional $10 million, and the Sixers might look to do exactly that, depending on how the Fultz saga continues for the rest of the season.
Timeline Shift
Lastly, the Butler move shifts the entire timeline up. With a real built around Embiid and Simmons, it felt like the Sixers were still playing the long game, but just happened to be a really good team right now. Adding Jimmy Butler shows that this team is all in on winning right now. With Butler at 29 years old, the peak of his prime, this team needs to put the pieces together and make a run at a championship in the next 3 or so years.
