Tim Bontemps predicts Jimmy Butler will be traded to Boston

[celticsclay]

Jimmy Butler for a 42 win Bulls team:  20.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.6 steals, 45%/31%/83%
Ricky Davis for a 33 win Celtic team:  19.7 points, 5.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 46%/32%/79%

Neither made the playoffs.   Butler had former MVP Derrick Rose, 6x All-star Pau Gasol, last year's ROY runnerup Nikola Mirotic and a solid bench of players like Taj Gibson. 

I wouldn't mind bringing in Butler, but I'm not overpaying for premium-brand Ricky Davis.

Jimmy Butler for a 50-win Bulls team: 20.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.8 steals, 46.2%/37.8%/83.4%

Ricky Davis Career stats:  13.5 points, 3.3 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 1 steal 45%/36%/78% in 29.8mpg

Jimmy Butler Career stats:  13.6 points, 2.6 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 45%/33%/81% in 31.2mpg

Dude cmon now. You know you're just using career stats to have a (lame) reason to not want butler. You know jimmy didn't get a ton of time in his earlier years, and was only getting PT for his defense, right?

Yeah, I also know I've seen articles from Bulls fans who said his defense cratered once he was given a larger offensive role. 

Honestly, I haven't watched enough of Butler to really have a major opinion one way or the other.  Did you guys watch a ton of Bulls games this year?  I just know what I've read about him.  I'm fine with bringing him in, but I wouldn't overpay for him. 

As a 23 year old Ricky Davis put up Butler-esque stats of 20.6 points, 5.5 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals... It was his 5th season.  He was an effective player for a number of years.

This was Butler's 5th season.  The 26 year old has game.  Davis was a bit of a headcase (though I've heard Butler has a little of that in him as well) and Butler is widely believed to be a better defensive player (though playing for a team with an elite defensive identity impacted that a bit).   I'm not saying Davis was better than Butler.  I'm just saying that we've seen guys put up big stats for losers in the past.   I wouldn't mind trading for Butler if the price is right.  I wouldn't hold my breathe on him being the franchise player the team needs.

lol at the rickey davis comparison. How does he rank against Vitaly Potapenko.

[nickagneta]

Jimmy Butler for a 42 win Bulls team:  20.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.6 steals, 45%/31%/83%
Ricky Davis for a 33 win Celtic team:  19.7 points, 5.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 46%/32%/79%

Neither made the playoffs.   Butler had former MVP Derrick Rose, 6x All-star Pau Gasol, last year's ROY runnerup Nikola Mirotic and a solid bench of players like Taj Gibson. 

I wouldn't mind bringing in Butler, but I'm not overpaying for premium-brand Ricky Davis.

Jimmy Butler for a 50-win Bulls team: 20.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.8 steals, 46.2%/37.8%/83.4%

Ricky Davis Career stats:  13.5 points, 3.3 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 1 steal 45%/36%/78% in 29.8mpg

Jimmy Butler Career stats:  13.6 points, 2.6 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 45%/33%/81% in 31.2mpg

Dude cmon now. You know you're just using career stats to have a (lame) reason to not want butler. You know jimmy didn't get a ton of time in his earlier years, and was only getting PT for his defense, right?

Yeah, I also know I've seen articles from Bulls fans who said his defense cratered once he was given a larger offensive role. 

Honestly, I haven't watched enough of Butler to really have a major opinion one way or the other.  Did you guys watch a ton of Bulls games this year?  I just know what I've read about him.  I'm fine with bringing him in, but I wouldn't overpay for him. 

As a 23 year old Ricky Davis put up Butler-esque stats of 20.6 points, 5.5 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals... It was his 5th season.  He was an effective player for a number of years.

This was Butler's 5th season.  The 26 year old has game.  Davis was a bit of a headcase (though I've heard Butler has a little of that in him as well) and Butler is widely believed to be a better defensive player (though playing for a team with an elite defensive identity impacted that a bit).   I'm not saying Davis was better than Butler.  I'm just saying that we've seen guys put up big stats for losers in the past.   I wouldn't mind trading for Butler if the price is right.  I wouldn't hold my breathe on him being the franchise player the team needs.

Your problem is instead of reading articles written about Butler from credible news sources or watching Bulls games, you are getting your information from uninformed and biased Bulls fans on blog sites. That's like trying to learn more about the Celtics players by listening to Celtics fans that post on Celticsblog. If people did that and took BBallTim seriously they would believe that Rondo was better than Jordan. If those people listened to triboy they would think Jordan Mickey was better than Bill Russell. If they listened to our group of young posters that love tanking they would have been convinced Ainge was an incompetent boob for not going all Hinkie. If they listened to some others they would be convinced Isaish Thomas isn't an All-Star caliber talent and should be coming off the bench. If they listened to you they would have been convinced that the Nets pick wouldn't have stood a chance at landing in the top ten of the lottery.

Time to start getting your information from better sources LB. Jimmy Butler is ten times the player Ricky Davis ever was.

[LooseCannon]

What worries me about Jimmy Butler is fit.

If he didn't fit well with Derrick Rose, what would make him fit with Isaiah Thomas, who in a way, are similar players (ball dominant PG's who likes to shoot)?

Fitting with Derrick Rose doesn't matter because you can't have a good fit with garbage.

If you are worried about fit, you should consider what kind of offensive system Fred Hoiberg wants to run, how similar that is to how Brad Stevens wishes to operate, and how Jimmy Butler has been adapting to that system.  If he wants to be "the man" and create shots off the dribble, that is a bad fit.  If he is a willing passer who will embrace playing off the ball within the offense, that is a good fit.

Is Butler the sort of player who is going to pout if he is put in a situation that causes his PPG to go down?  If so, should Stevens be willing to abandon his system some of the time and let Butler play iso-ball to keep him happy?

[The One]

I love I.T. but If Butler was added to the Celtics, he would be their best player.

[aingeforthree]

Ainge will get his man in Love.  Butler might be on the back burner as well.  But Love is his man, and Ainge always gets his man.

[mctyson]

Choosing Hoiberg over Butler.  Good luck with that, Chicago.

It is not choosing Hoiberg over Butler.  It is choosing rebuilding or going all-in on Butler + Company again.  They didn't make the playoffs this year, remember that.

If Butler could get them multiple Nets picks plus a few young players from Boston (like Smart and Olynyk), you make that trade.  Simple as that.

[The One]

I would rather spend the Brooklyn pick on Butler than Okafor, that's for sure.

I really like them both.  Based on age and position...I would really have to consider Okafor.

[The One]

Don't overpay for butler unless it guarantees you Durant.  Butler is overrated.

Really?  I like Butler a lot.  And he plays offense and defense.

He's not the final piece but he could be part of a "big three".

Butler is Jae Crowder on steroids (figuratively, not literally). He's nice to have, but I don't think he's that much of an upgrade over Avery Bradley. And you also have to give up something for him. Just doesn't seem like a good idea.

I really like Avery, but Butler is a big upgrade. Jimmy has exploded offensively in some games. Even has a couple of franchise records. Avery can't do that.

[jambr380]

Choosing Hoiberg over Butler.  Good luck with that, Chicago.

It is not choosing Hoiberg over Butler.  It is choosing rebuilding or going all-in on Butler + Company again.  They didn't make the playoffs this year, remember that.

If Butler could get them multiple Nets picks plus a few young players from Boston (like Smart and Olynyk), you make that trade.  Simple as that.

Lol - multiple Nets picks along with Smart and KO? That isn't happening.

[Eddie20]

Jimmy Butler for a 42 win Bulls team:  20.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.6 steals, 45%/31%/83%
Ricky Davis for a 33 win Celtic team:  19.7 points, 5.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 46%/32%/79%

Neither made the playoffs.   Butler had former MVP Derrick Rose, 6x All-star Pau Gasol, last year's ROY runnerup Nikola Mirotic and a solid bench of players like Taj Gibson. 

I wouldn't mind bringing in Butler, but I'm not overpaying for premium-brand Ricky Davis.

Jimmy Butler for a 50-win Bulls team: 20.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.8 steals, 46.2%/37.8%/83.4%

Ricky Davis Career stats:  13.5 points, 3.3 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 1 steal 45%/36%/78% in 29.8mpg

Jimmy Butler Career stats:  13.6 points, 2.6 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 45%/33%/81% in 31.2mpg

Dude cmon now. You know you're just using career stats to have a (lame) reason to not want butler. You know jimmy didn't get a ton of time in his earlier years, and was only getting PT for his defense, right?

Yeah, I also know I've seen articles from Bulls fans who said his defense cratered once he was given a larger offensive role. 

Honestly, I haven't watched enough of Butler to really have a major opinion one way or the other.  Did you guys watch a ton of Bulls games this year?  I just know what I've read about him.  I'm fine with bringing him in, but I wouldn't overpay for him. 

As a 23 year old Ricky Davis put up Butler-esque stats of 20.6 points, 5.5 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals... It was his 5th season.  He was an effective player for a number of years.

This was Butler's 5th season.  The 26 year old has game.  Davis was a bit of a headcase (though I've heard Butler has a little of that in him as well) and Butler is widely believed to be a better defensive player (though playing for a team with an elite defensive identity impacted that a bit).   I'm not saying Davis was better than Butler.  I'm just saying that we've seen guys put up big stats for losers in the past.   I wouldn't mind trading for Butler if the price is right.  I wouldn't hold my breathe on him being the franchise player the team needs.

Your problem is instead of reading articles written about Butler from credible news sources or watching Bulls games, you are getting your information from uninformed and biased Bulls fans on blog sites. That's like trying to learn more about the Celtics players by listening to Celtics fans that post on Celticsblog. If people did that and took BBallTim seriously they would believe that Rondo was better than Jordan. If those people listened to triboy they would think Jordan Mickey was better than Bill Russell. If they listened to our group of young posters that love tanking they would have been convinced Ainge was an incompetent boob for not going all Hinkie. If they listened to some others they would be convinced Isaish Thomas isn't an All-Star caliber talent and should be coming off the bench. If they listened to you they would have been convinced that the Nets pick wouldn't have stood a chance at landing in the top ten of the lottery.

Time to start getting your information from better sources LB. Jimmy Butler is ten times the player Ricky Davis ever was.

Post of the month! Great job, Nick! You get my Tommy Award and multiple TP's!

[rondohondo]

Choosing Hoiberg over Butler.  Good luck with that, Chicago.

It is not choosing Hoiberg over Butler.  It is choosing rebuilding or going all-in on Butler + Company again.  They didn't make the playoffs this year, remember that.

If Butler could get them multiple Nets picks plus a few young players from Boston (like Smart and Olynyk), you make that trade.  Simple as that.

Lol - multiple Nets picks along with Smart and KO? That isn't happening.

yea that is way to much

I would do ko, ab , 16 brk pick and dallas pick

[byennie]

As a 23 year old Ricky Davis put up Butler-esque stats of 20.6 points, 5.5 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals... It was his 5th season.  He was an effective player for a number of years.

This was Butler's 5th season.  The 26 year old has game.  Davis was a bit of a headcase (though I've heard Butler has a little of that in him as well) and Butler is widely believed to be a better defensive player (though playing for a team with an elite defensive identity impacted that a bit).   I'm not saying Davis was better than Butler.  I'm just saying that we've seen guys put up big stats for losers in the past.   I wouldn't mind trading for Butler if the price is right.  I wouldn't hold my breathe on him being the franchise player the team needs.

I'll do the short version.

20 points on 19 shots in a career year, with no defense - and it's not like he was considered a bad player at the tie.

VS

20 points on 15 shots (two years+), and a strong defender.

Or... just because Ricky Davis went 20/5/5 one time doesn't discount others who do it.

[fairweatherfan]

Choosing Hoiberg over Butler.  Good luck with that, Chicago.

It is not choosing Hoiberg over Butler.  It is choosing rebuilding or going all-in on Butler + Company again.  They didn't make the playoffs this year, remember that.

If Butler could get them multiple Nets picks plus a few young players from Boston (like Smart and Olynyk), you make that trade.  Simple as that.

Yeah but Butler is young, just entering his prime.  It's not like he's turning 30 and they're worried he'll only be a high-level producer for 2-4 more years.  They could very plausibly blow up and rebuild around him.   This seems like it has at least elements of a personality clash involved.

[chambers]

Jimmy Butler for a 42 win Bulls team:  20.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.6 steals, 45%/31%/83%
Ricky Davis for a 33 win Celtic team:  19.7 points, 5.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 46%/32%/79%

Neither made the playoffs.   Butler had former MVP Derrick Rose, 6x All-star Pau Gasol, last year's ROY runnerup Nikola Mirotic and a solid bench of players like Taj Gibson. 

I wouldn't mind bringing in Butler, but I'm not overpaying for premium-brand Ricky Davis.

If Ricky Davis was an All defensive first team player then he'd probably have a lot more to like about him.
To give Butler's supporting cast of a cooked Rose, cooked Gasol and Niokla Mirotic (lol lol lol) some kind of credibility is pretty weak.

Butler was a top 10 scorer and made the all defensive first team this year. He's also being paid $17 million next season. He's a two way player.

We get that you want Okafur, but Jimmy Butler is a top 10-15 player in this league, and would considerably increase our chances of signing Durant here.

[Eddie20]

As a 23 year old Ricky Davis put up Butler-esque stats of 20.6 points, 5.5 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals... It was his 5th season.  He was an effective player for a number of years.

This was Butler's 5th season.  The 26 year old has game.  Davis was a bit of a headcase (though I've heard Butler has a little of that in him as well) and Butler is widely believed to be a better defensive player (though playing for a team with an elite defensive identity impacted that a bit).   I'm not saying Davis was better than Butler.  I'm just saying that we've seen guys put up big stats for losers in the past.   I wouldn't mind trading for Butler if the price is right.  I wouldn't hold my breathe on him being the franchise player the team needs.

I'll do the short version.

20 points on 19 shots in a career year, with no defense - and it's not like he was considered a bad player at the tie.

VS

20 points on 15 shots (two years+), and a strong defender.

Or... just because Ricky Davis went 20/5/5 one time doesn't discount others who do it.

Exactly. It's like saying comparing Jordan Crawford's 13-14 season with the C's with Conley's 15-16 season.

Crawford (13-14 season) vs Conley (15-16 season)

Games 39 - 56
PPG 13.7 - 15.3
APG 5.7 - 6.1
RPG 3.1 - 2.9
FG% 41.3 - 42.2
FT% 87.3 - 83.4