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Jimmy Butler Is on My All-NBA First Team: Unchecked

Jimmy Butler is on my All-NBA first team, meaning if I had to win a game, there aren’t five guys I’d take over him.

This isn’t an argument against the current All-NBA selections as is, since statistically the guys ahead of him had better seasons, but that is also part of the reason I’d take him. Jimmy doesn’t give a damn about stats. Dude might have 12 points all game but that doesn’t mean you don’t want the ball in his hands down the stretch, as when it comes to the clutch, he’s as good as anyone.

He also impacts the game in so many ways, whether that be as a scorer, ball handler, defender, or just diving on the floor to keep a possession alive. It seems just now people are finally realizing when you add all that together, you’ve got a true superstar beyond the boxscore. And truly one of the very best players in the league. 

Look at the Philadelphia 76ers this season without him, or the fact that the only time the Minnesota Timberwolves made the playoffs in the last 15 years he was there. He was also a member of the Chicago Bulls the last time they had a winning record. And now he’s found the perfect franchise to match his personality with the Miami Heat. A team that simply wants to compete.

They’ve got shooters and Goran Dragic to go with him offensively and a versatile defensive monster in Bam Adebayo. But the reason we’ve all come to believe in them is Jimmy Buckets. Which is why in an evenly matched series with the Boston Celtics, my money is on Miami. 

And I'll also throw in $20 for a cup of his coffee.