Enemy is within
There’s no doubt about it now. The Timberwolves have to get rid of Jimmy Butler, and fast. True, he’s the National Basketball Association’s best two-way player not named Kawhi Leonard. And, true, he’s the engine that drives the offense for head coach Tom Thibodeau. On the other hand, he’s also an unabashed, unapologetic agitator who stands as the single biggest obstacle to progress in the near term and, most importantly, beyond.
On paper, Butler’s an acknowledged powerhouse deserving of his All-Star tag. Against the Celtics the other day, he posted stats that highlighted his competitiveness. That said, he also proved to be a model of inefficiency, needing 23 shots to score 21 points and going zero of eight from the three-point arc en route to posting a game-worst minus-19 line. Little wonder, then, that the Timberwolves could not break 100 and wound up absorbing a 17-point loss.
Considering the uneven showing, Butler would have been better off ruminating in silence while on the bench heading into the final buzzer. Instead, he saw fit to celebrate the outcome with Celtics fans at the TD Garden, waving his towel as if he were part of the winning contingent instead of the single biggest reason for the Timberwolves’ setback. It’s a display of recalcitrance that pro hoops followers have continually seen from him since he made known his desire to be traded. And it carried over into his post-match interview, when he announced his intention to miss games on his whim and fancy moving forward.
Will the Timberwolves be appreciably worse on the court without Butler? Probably, since he eroded any negotiating leverage they had by telegraphing his objectives. Then again, they don’t have a choice. He’s making things worse by the day, poisoning the situation with his “I’m the man” stance with one foot out the door. It has certainly turned Karl-Anthony Towns — on whom they just invested $180 million — into a deflated presence.
At this point, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor should step in and point Butler towards the exit. Never mind the protestations of Thibodeau, whose job is on the line and would personally be better served by keeping the status quo. Else, the rest of the season will go the way of the first eight games: an up-and-down struggle in which their worst enemy is within.
At this point, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor should step in and point Jimmy Butler towards the exit. Never mind the protestations of Thibodeau, whose job is on the line and would personally be better served by keeping the status quo. Else, the rest of the season will go the way of the first eight games: an up-anddown struggle in which their worst enemy is within.