If you didn’t know Jimmy Butler was recently traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves to Philadelphia 76ers. Butler had requested a trade from the T-Wolves in September before the season started and the Timberwolves decided to make a move last Saturday. I think this move brings great opportunity to both teams. Full Trade Details: Minnesota Timberwolves Receive- F, Dario Saric, F, Robert Covington, G, Jerryd Bayless, Future 2020 2nd Pick Philadelphia 76ers- G, Jimmy Butler, C, Justin Patton Timberwolves Side of the Trade I really like this trade for the Timberwolves. You could clearly see that the Jimmy Butler experiment was not working out, and the Timberwolves had to move on. I’m assuming this was a hard pill to swallow for the front office being that the wolves gave up a large part of their future for just a one year rental of Butler, which is quite frustrating as being a fan of the team. Although it is a frustrating time to be a Timberwolves fan, I am glad we received something in return of Butler, and I am quite happy with the players we received. First Dario Saric is a very talented 6’10 stretch 4 big that is still only 24 year old and has yet to enter his prime. Saric has average 13.5 points and 6.5 rebounds on a crowded 76ers team. I believe that Saric steps into the Timberwolves as a great role player. Saric is the big man that the Timberwolves have been looking for to pair with Towns ever since Kevin Love has left to Cleveland. Saric can space the floor well and is as athletic enough to be an above average defender. I think that Saric is the perfect modern big in the NBA and a great third of fourth best player on a contending team. I also really like 6’9” forward Robert Covington. Covington is 27 year old so he is just beginning to enter the prime of his career. Covington averaged 12.6 points 5.4 rebounds and 2 assists a game last season while shooting 39% from three. Covington was also voted first team All-NBA defense last season ahead of so called “defensive specialist” former Timberwolf Jimmy Butler, which was well deserved. Covington is also the perfect modern NBA role player. He fits the 3 and D mold that so many teams look for, including the Timberwolves for years. I think that Covington is a great staring caliber NBA player. Jerryd Bayless is a solid veteran guard that will add depth and leadership in the locker room. I don’t expect Bayless to be apart of the Timberwolves long-term future. Covington and Saric are both players that Timberwolves teams have needed for so long. They get a stretch big that is athletic and a perfect 3 and D player. Saric and Covington are great role players on a contending team. The only piece the Timberwolves are missing is obviously the 2nd or 3rd star that they lost in Butler. This trade was a move that shows that the Timberwolves don’t want to go into full rebuild mode and they just had a little bump in the road (trying to remain optimistic). This move makes me excited to watch the Timberwolves for the first time all year. Thanks for absolutely nothing Jimmy Butler. Overall Grade: A- 76ers Side of the Trade If I was a 76ers fan I would not be as happy. This is a move that I don’t love for the Sixers but it is a move that they had to make. All of the tanking for five plus years has produced this team, they no longer have the draft capital that they once did. This is the the team that they 76ers have for the future. I would be upset because this is not enough to compete with the Warriors for a championship. They do not have the three point shooters surrounding Ben Simmons for him to be performing at his best level. Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler are both not very good three point shooters as well, and I just don’t think you can win in the modern NBA with your three best players being average three point shooters at best. The 76ers just did what the Timberwolves did to acquire Jimmy Butler. They traded the little draft capital and young players they had left for a star player to build around their two young stars. I would be a little worried as a 76ers fan because Jimmy Butler clearly just showed that his is stubborn and does not have time to help develop young players. And he only cares about himself. I think this move might completely ruin Markelle Fultz’ Sixers career. I think that Butler will show no patience helping develop Fultz and I can see a situation that Fultz gets lost in the rotation and ends up sitting on the bench during their playoff run. Justin Patton is an injury prone former first round pick. He is fairly talented, but I am glad the Timberwolves let him go. He is entering his second year looking like he his not going to play his first NBA game this season. I guess this is a perfect "Trust the Process" player for the Sixers. I hope Patton can find his way on the court. This trade as a whole was not my favorite move for the Sixers but one they had to make, they weren’t going to get any better with their current core and there wasn’t a great chance they were going to be getting any big name free agents. They decided they liked their nucleus for the future, and decided to go into “win now mode.” Which needed to be done. Overall I think this makes the Sixers a better team but they still will not win the Eastern Conference this season with their current roster. Overall Grade: B+ Now that they I think the “Trust the Process” era is officially over let's look back at they moves the Sixers have made and what they could have done differently. The “Trust the Process” era
I feel bad for Sixers fans but not Jimmy Butler. This is the best it’s gonna get for all that tanking, this is all your gonna get.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Follow us on Twitter @SportsPlug_ for more engaging content.
Sign up TODAY for email notifications for every blog post BELOW...
Categories
All
AboutWelcome to Sports Plug, a sports news page where you can read about engaging content. Archive
May 2020
|