"At his best, Jimmy Butler is an unstoppable scorer who thrives in the most valuable spot on the court: right at the rim. Agile enough to maneuver in traffic, crafty enough to draw fouls from unwitting defenders, burly enough to finish through that contact for high-percentage shots. Whatever the right play is to make, that's the play he makes, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said on Wednesday. So I don't ever worry about Jimmy."
"Butler, 36, has been listed with back, glute and knee injuries already this season, which could explain the drop in his scoring effectiveness. Butler has never been a high-level 3-point shooter. Instead, he has lived at the rim in short midrange as an off-the-dribble scorer. Last season, a re-energized Butler made 65% of his shots within 5 feet of the rim after being traded from Miami in early February."
"However, his last 10 games tell a different story. Butler is making just 56.9% of his attempts in that same area, a more significant decline from last year. His midrange efficiency has also taken a dip, albeit in a small sample size. Butler made 44% of his shots from 8-to-16 feet last season, but has made just 4 of 16 over his last 10 games."
Jimmy Butler excels at finishing at the rim, using agility, craft and physicality to score and draw fouls. He is averaging 19.1 points per game this season, up from 17.5 a year ago, but listed back, glute and knee injuries have coincided with a drop in scoring effectiveness. Butler has never been a high-level 3-point shooter and has relied on close shots and short midrange scoring. Last season he converted 65% of attempts within five feet; early this season he converted 62.6% on close shots. Over his last 10 games his close-range percentage fell to 56.9% and midrange success has dipped, though he still averages 12.0 drives per game and continues to attack the basket.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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