The 75 greatest players in NBA history, ranked by Player Efficiency Rating (PER)
By Cal Durrett
46. Jimmy Butler-21.68
Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler is widely known for being more of a post-season player after leading the Heat to three Eastern Conference Finals and two NBA Finals. Nevertheless, he cracks the top 75 in career PER. Butler's regular season numbers won't necessarily blow people away, with him averaging a respectable 18.4 points on 57.8 percent true shooting as well as 5.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.6 steals.
However, he ranks inside the top 50 in career PER. Butler being a top-50 player all-time seems fair, even if his numbers aren't eye-popping. Few players can say that they led a team to two NBA Finals. Especially since he carried the Heat through the play-in tournament in the 2023 playoffs and then beat the two best teams in the NBA, the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics.
Were he to lead the Heat back to the NBA Finals, let alone win a championship, then he would undoubtedly shoot up on many people's list of all-time greats. Ironically, he may slide a bit in terms of PER as he ages, though at age 34, he has a stellar 23.4 PER—above his career average, suggesting that he may age far better than expected.