He is often referred to as "the analog basketball player in the digital age." His coach Erik Spoelstra once called him the "anti-analytics guy," so I decided to talk about Jimmy Butler with a somewhat digital friend: the Chat GPT artificial intelligence software.
Nikola Jokic's press conference and training before the final | Ronen Dorfen
I asked her why people thought Jimmy Butler was mowing down analysts' work. She talked about matters that statistics don't measure: vocal leadership, work ethic, understanding and sabotaging the opponent's offensive plan, and performance in decisive moments.
But analysts take offense when they say they don't like Jimmy Buckets. They were among the first to fall in love with him. Butler may seem mediocre in traditional statistics, but excellent at the advanced, which they have claimed for years to be the most important.
Butler. Everybody loves him, Photo: USA TODAY Sports
For example, he leads all players who have played ten games in the current playoffs in penalty attempts, averaging 9.1 per game. Analysts love being able to get to the line, only Kevin Durant is close to him at this statistic (8.7), and he's part of a team that plays at a much higher pace.
He guards the ball better than any other 40-minute superstar in the league. Butler doesn't lose much at all: just 2.1 turnovers per player in 40 minutes of practice. And when the money is on the table is particularly good, zero losses in Game 7 in Boston. One loss in Game 6 that sent home the Knicks.
A little more, but still only 2, in the play-in game that lifted Miami to the playoffs, the same playoff that would become historic, sending his first team Chicago to the fishing sites.
Through Jimmy Butler's leadership, the Heat are one step closer to claiming another championship 🏆 pic.twitter.com/OJGrSj8WDd
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 30, 2023
But I was most annoyed when the program declared that "you can't measure a player's performance in a clutch." Because there's no problem measuring, and the NBA does just that. Clutch time is defined as when we are in the last five minutes of a game, and the difference is no more than 5 points for either team.
And what do clutch stats say to players who have been in at least five such games in the current playoffs? Points? Jimmy Butler first (4.9), legendary Steph Curry second (3.8).
Group plus-minus - a critical statistic, of course, for a clutch? Jimmy Sunday (+4.4) is a significant margin over Jaylen Brunson (+2.6) in second place. Jimmy Butler is a clutch. And advanced (drop) statistics know it.
Butler. Hardly loses bullets, Photo: AP
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Disappointed by the program's weakness in mathematical aspects, in which it is supposed to excel, I decided to talk to her about art. On the references to Butler in rappers like Lil Wayne who writes "feels like Jimmy Butler". Or the band The Migos, whose founder Coabo starred in the 2018 All-Star Celebrity Game, who sang quite loosely translated as "Jimmy Butler in the clutch, makes money with the flick-flak."
So I asked her why Butler was an inspiration to rappers. She gave several reasons, such as "Butler's journey from a lesser-known player to one of the NBA's stars. Rappers identify with their hard work and perseverance, especially the underdog."
What else? I ask her. "The uniqueness. And his unapologetic stance, rappers tap into authenticity." Interesting, I continue, what else? "They love that he's a leader and motivating. Someone who influences the people around him and society at large."
All of this is really great, I thought to myself, artificial intelligence has a use! And I was curious to know which rappers Butler himself listened to in preparation for games. I found something from his Chicago days, he listens to some rappers he knows personally like Ludacris and Bryce Lee. But when he's in charge of warm-up music for games, he plays Taylor Swift on headphones, you wouldn't believe it. The blonde poster girl of white country music. Jimmy is 1.0. There is no longer a version.
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Taylor Swift. In Butler's headphones, photo: AP
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