Miami Heat: Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler First Team All-Defense, Right?
The Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler has been a First Team type defender this season, hands down.
On top of leading the league, outright, in steals, which likely correlates to this next stat, Jimmy also has a unique little other thing going for him that shows just how much he impacts the game for Miami and quite frankly… the other team. On more than one third of the possessions where Jimmy Butler is on the floor for the Miami Heat, he steals the ball from the opposing team.
Think about that? It’s almost insane, if not full-blown.
For players in the NBA this season that have played 40 or more games, 30 or more minutes in those games, and have averaged one steal or better, Jimmy’s steal percentage is far and away the best, specifically at 34 percent. Broken down into thirds, 100 is always 33.3 and well, the math is clear there.
The other top names on that list and all ranked behind Jimmy are: Lonzo Ball (1.5 SPG, 31.0 percent), Draymond Green (1.6 SPG, 30.8 percent), Jrue Holiday (1.7 SPG, 30.6 percent), Dejounte Murray (1.5 SPG, 30.5 percent), Kawhi Leonard (1.6 SPG, 30.4 percent), and Chris Paul (1.4 SPG, 30.1 percent) to name a few.
While there are other factors that can be pointed to, such as consistently guarding the other team’s best player, the fact that he would rank seventh among all wings in defensive rebounds per game, the fact that he is elite at one of the most important and coveted defensive abilities, the takeaway, uses it to absolutely change games for his team, and is by far and away the best at what he does in the league should be enough to guarantee him a first team spot.
That is, when you consider the fact that no other guy at his position, outside of Kawhi Leonard, does it like he does. OG Anunoby is great as well, but he does it differently, which allows a bit more team support but also a another squabble to be had when it comes to who’s better or more valuable there.
Next. Please Stop Complaining About Jimmy Butler’s Trash Talk. dark
This, though, is why Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo should both be in high contention to be on the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team.