The Official Jimmy Butler Take: Why It’s Alright to Have Your Reservations While Still Being Excited

Let’s start this with a confession: I used to be a closet Chicago Bulls fan. Some years ago, before the initiation of The Process, the Sixers were a perennial eight seed in the East. They were just a tune up for the Heat. Meanwhile, the Bulls were consistently floating around 60 wins a year. Thanks in large part to Derrick Rose, who was like watching a Monster Energy drink play basketball. IT. WAS. AWESOME. Couple this with the fact we oddly got some Chicago station (WGN America) at my house, I watched a ton of Bulls basketball. Therefore, I’ve attentively watched a large portion of Jimmy Butler’s career already so far.

It’s crazy how times have change for both teams and particularly, for Butler. He has reached a different stage of his career as a player and a person. A new role. A new ego. A new chance to conquer the East.

When the trade first broke, I was enraged. I felt dirty, like a corporate sellout. For my How I Met Your Mother fans, it was like when Marshall gave up his dream of being an environmental lawyer and saving the planet to work for Goliath National Bank. Dario Saric and Robert Covington were as Process it gets. Two tenders of the Hinkie mothership. Every broken English quote from Dario was a friendly reminder that The Process was a huge success. But then, the G-League Gem and the Euro Folklore Homie turned formidable role players were gone.

And replaced with Jimmy Butler?! The star with an ego to match who was currently sabotaging his own team?! How could he be THE guy? Not after the practice stunt he pulled running with the third team and telling Rachel Nichols to come through. Adding an ego like that to the locker room seemed volatile. It was like driving past a fender bender on the highway and thinking, “that looks like a safe car to purchase”.

But after simmering down, I get it. My brain gets the move while my heart doesn’t accept it. I believe that ownership, Elton Brand and especially Brett Brown, got fed up with the losses that resulted in blown leads. The inability to close out games late because the team lacked a go-to wing threat. The Sixers had the frustrating tendency of allowing massive runs by opposing teams and role players like Dario and Cov could never be the gauze that stopped the bleeding.

Late in basketball games, the paint tightens up. Entry passes to your big man on an MVP tear get a lot tougher. Your point guard who can’t shoot can’t drive like he wants to. They needed a wing threat who could create offensive opportunities via outside shooting and the ability to get to the rim. It was what we all hoped Fultz would be. While I still believe Fultz could be a legitimate role player, the latest regression (not sure if regression is the right word when we haven’t seen much progression) cements he won’t be the “wing threat”. In steps Butler. With the talent to get it done and the “fuck it, I’ll do it myself”, attitude to match.

I really loved Dario getting a water cup poured on him. I really loved  Cov pumping up the crowd for the Wendy’s Frosty Freeze Out. But, I really fucking hate losing to the Celtics. And…I really, really love parades.

So, as the Jimmy Butler era begins, I’ll have my reservations. But, I’ll also have the promise of watching my favorite team take the next step.