Minnesota Timberwolves: 5 goals for Jimmy Butler in 2017-18

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1. Be in the MVP conversation

Eleven different players received at least one vote for the 2016-17 NBA MVP award, only Jimmy Butler was not in the group.

For all of his individual achievements, including the Most Improved Player in 2014-15, three consecutive selections to the All-Star Game, a gold medal at the 2016 Olympics and an All-NBA Third Team selection a year ago, Butler has yet to receive a single vote for MVP.

By any calculation, his production is exceptional. Butler posted 13.8 win shares, a mark only surpassed by James Harden and Rudy Gobert a year ago.

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Only with the Bulls finishing the year with a .500 record, enough to secure the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference, his contributions simply weren’t enough to be in the discussion with Harden or Russell Westbrook for the highest individual honor in the NBA.

The shift to Minnesota presents Butler with an exceptional opportunity. The T-Wolves haven’t qualified for the postseason since 2004, and in the 29-year history of the franchise, the team has made just eight playoff appearances.

The Timberwolves won just 31 games a year ago, but the addition of Butler has the team entering the 2017-18 season with the eighth-best odds of winning the championship.

For the team to live up to the lofty expectations, Butler will need to continue his growth as a player. Individual goals, such as career-high scoring, steal and 3-point field goal numbers, could pave the way for Butler to generate consideration, but team success will be the key for MVP consideration.

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The better Minnesota performs, the more likely Butler is to crack the top tier of players in the NBA.

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