Miami Heat: 3 Reasons Jimmy Butler Is Top 10 Right Now – Not 10 Better In NBA
Let’s compare other players to Jimmy Butler to see how he matches up against them.
Comparison To Other Players
Although he is playing like it right now, it would be hard for anyone to argue that Jimmy Butler is and will continue to be the best player in the NBA. There are more than a few players that are simply better.
Those players would be Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Stephen Curry, and Joel Embiid. It would be pretty hard to rationalize taking Butler over any of those guys.
But, there are only the seven players that were just named that fit that bill, outright, making Jimmy Butler, at worst, the eighth-best player in the NBA. That seems like a fair spot for him to be at right now.
You can’t definitively say that any other player is better than Jimmy Butler.
On the other hand, the way Jimmy Butler is playing right now proves that there are a number of reasons why he is better than any other player in the NBA.
A few players that come to mind to potentially refute the point are Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, James Harden, and Jayson Tatum. Let’s begin with Kawhi Leonard.
Obviously, he is a top 10 talent and a proven champion when healthy. However, he hasn’t played all year, so it wouldn’t be fair to rank him.
Next up, we have Anthony Davis and James Harden. Anthony Davis has been dealing with a multitude of injuries over his career and he hasn’t quite looked the same since 2020.
Harden has been a shell of his former self since his hamstring injury. Although both are still good players, they fall outside of the top 10 until they can prove that they are still elite superstars.
That leaves Jayson Tatum. Right now, he is probably the closest to Jimmy Butler just because of his overall talent.
When both are at their best, it is a close call. But the edge should go to Butler because of his defense, playmaking, and consistency.
The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics will face off in a Game 7, so perhaps the results of the game will help determine who is the better star. With that being said, even if Kawhi and Tatum were to rank higher than Butler, that still leaves Butler in a top 10 spot.