Latest Media Coverage of Jimmy Butler, Sixers Drama Overblown
In recent days and weeks, there has been major media spotlight focused on the supposed chemistry problem concerning the 76ers, specifically between coach Brett Brown and star forward Jimmy Butler. Butler, who came over in the team’s mid-season blockbuster deal with Minnesota on November 12th, has been at the center of multiple controversies in his career, both during his time in Chicago and with the Wolves. ESPN’s NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski appeared to drop a “Woj Bomb” on the Sixers two-month old Big Three consisting of Butler, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. His report with Ramona Shelbourne, claimed that Butler had “aggressively challenged coach Brett Brown on his role in the offense, complicating an already tenuous chemistry among the team’s Big Three hierarchy.” The report also claimed that some within the Sixers organization felt Butler was “disrespectful” to Brown.
Since the ESPN report, Butler has taken it upon himself to downplay the so-called confrontation. “We’ve been talking damn near every day. Trying to figure everything out and how we can make everyone work. Not just for myself but for everybody.” Butler told reporters after practice in the days following the report. “I’m telling you it’s a player and a coach conversation. I think that if you’ve followed me long enough, you know if I was being confrontational because I don’t think I could hide it very well.”
Brett Brown commented further on the ESPN report of Butler’s criticism. “He’s got opinions. He wants to be heard. And he should be heard,” the sixth year head coach told reporters in response. “As I’ve said to the team a moment ago, I’ve had many meetings with Jimmy. In the film session, I didn’t think it went over the line. If it did, I would’ve addressed it,” Brown added.
As a whole, this doesn’t seem like anything that Sixers fans should be losing sleep over. Butler and Brown both quickly shot down the notion that their encounter was confrontational, or at all detrimental to the team. Both also seemed respectful of one another in their responses. As for as the well popularized notion that Butler is a “locker room cancer,” Sixers fans should again scoff and move on. This is simply a guy that has worked his entire life to get where he is, and expects the people around him to care about their craft as much as he does. When it comes to him voicing concerns, it sounds like Brown is all for it, and for good reason. “He wanted to be in more pick and rolls. That was true. My job is to make this work,” Brown told NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Brett Brown says he didn't have an issue with Butler speaking up about his role during the film review session.
He also says the report is a "non-story". | @TempleUniv pic.twitter.com/KJyjT4tqYK
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) January 5, 2019
At the end of the day the Sixers have three superstars, all of whom possess unique skill sets. Most people assumed, and even expected that there could be some growing pains in this group learning to play together, along with Brett Brown learning how to get the most out of all three night in and night out. But these growing pains are nothing more than that. They don’t change the fact that in this era of NBA super teams, the Sixers’ starting lineup boasts a Big Three of its own. And with just under half of the regular season left to grow, they have plenty of time to learn how to thrive on the court together.
They currently sit at the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference at 30-17, and are on pace for 51 wins, just one fewer than their breakout season a year ago. Does this team have some issues that need to be resolved down the road in this regular season? Absolutely. But to label these growing pains as chemistry problems seems premature, and an overreaction. So for now, Sixers fans, in the words of Aaron Rodgers, “R-E-L-A-X.”
