Philadelphia 76ers: Latest win shows the value of Jimmy Butler

Even with all his baggage, it’s victories like the most recent one for the Philadelphia 76ers that encapsulate the value of Jimmy Butler.

The Jimmy Butler era has been somewhat of a back-and-forth experience ever since the Philadelphia 76ers acquired the four-time All-Star in mid-November.

On the one hand, he consistently brings it on both sides of the floor and is always willing to both defend the opposition’s best player and take the game-winning shot, both of which we’ve seen since his arrival in the City of Brotherly Love.

Conversely, with so much talent in the starting unit following the acquisition of Tobias Harris near the deadline, at least one of them has been forced to take a backseat on any given night, and considering how the team functions, more often than not that person is Butler, leaving some hesitant to throw a max contract at him when he becomes a free agent this summer.

There was a time, though, when Sixers fans were ecstatic at the thought of Jimmy Buckets on their squad. A two-way star with a closer’s mentality? It was exactly what the team was missing. This isn’t to say fans have totally turned on No. 23, but it’s clear the feelings towards him have shifted. And yet there he was on Sunday afternoon, doing his best to queue up old memories.

In a huge road victory over the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks, Butler dropped a cool 27 points on 8-of-16 shooting to go along with six rebounds and three steals, but it was in the game’s final period where, as he tends to do, he made the biggest impact.

Across those final 12 minutes, the former Marquette product put up 14 points to help finish the game off for Philadelphia. Nearly every time the Bucks attempted to close the gap, Butler was there to keep them at bay, with all but two of his fourth quarter points coming after scores from Milwaukee at the other end.

Prior to his arrival, the Sixers lacked a traditional go-to scoring option from the perimeter. Former No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz was supposed to assume the role, but shoulder issues (among other things) kept that from happening.

In less than two weeks on the job, Butler snatched that position by the horns, dropping in two game-winning 3s in the span of just eight days. Finally, with a guy capable of creating something out of nothing, it looked as though Philly had everything it needed to make a run at the NBA Finals.

Then, things got a little bumpy, especially following the addition of Harris. Joel Embiid is the inside presence. J.J. Redick and Harris are capable floor-spacers. Ben Simmons is the point guard who needs the ball in his hands. This has left Butler to make it up as he goes along, finding his niche among such a special group of guys. Yet even when called upon at a moment’s notice, he tends to deliver more often than not.

Sunday’s win was a great one for a team still fighting to maintain its position as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, and while the eventual contract he’s given may be a slight overpay, there was a reason the Sixers were so willing to go and acquire Butler, even though it meant parting with two staples of the Process in Robert Covington and Dario Saric.

The 76ers averaged 103.4 points in the second round of their 2018 playoff matchup with the Boston Celtics, which would’ve tied for 23rd-best in the entire league last regular season. Butler may have his flaws, but come postseason time when the game slows down and a bucket is necessary, his role will become as clear and vital than ever, and Philly will be better off for it.