Jimmy Butler is a top 10 player in the NBA

[SuperPippen]

The consistent improvement Butler has demonstrated throughout his entire basketball career has been remarkable. He's transitioned from a community college ball player, to a contributor on a solid DI squad, to a near second-round NBA draft pick, to a position as arguably the best shooting guard in the world's premier basketball league.

He's top 12 in the league in scoring on above average efficiency, always defends the opponent's best perimeter player, and has recently stepped up his play to another level, becoming the leader of the Bulls and dominating in the clutch. He's outplayed his rival Paul George twice, broken an Bulls scoring record, and is still visibly improving.

Top 10 players in the NBA as of now, IMO:

Curry
LeBron
Durant
Westbrook
Leonard
Griffin
Davis
Cousins
Harden
Butler
George


What say you?

[masonanddixon]

He's top 10 in the East conference, Central division. Not top 10 or close to it in the entire NBA. Not even the best guy on his own team.

[PsychoBe]

bran is too high.

kawhi is too low.

in fact kawhi should be above bran because bran hasn't played inspired defense since 2012.

[bdreason]

List looks good. Only guys you're missing are Davis and Drummond, who I would argue impact the game as much or more than Butler.

[ISHGoat]

Natejizz would like to have a word with you

[RoseCity07]

:oldlol:

[SuperPippen]

:oldlol:

An absolutely foolproof rebuttal there.

[nathanjizzle]

in the last hand full of games hes definitely a top 10. but when it all evens out, hes a top 20-25 player.

[TrueBlue89]

Butler Top 10 :lol

You don't become a Top 10 player on the basis of a week long hot streak. No one's calling DeRozan a Top 10 player and he's been just as good recently.

Harden, Westbrook, George, Chris Paul, Cousins, Kawhi, LeBron, KD, Curry, Griffin, Draymond, Klay, Davis, Lowry, Melo, LMA are all better. He's definitely in the Top 20 and climbing though.

I need to see more first. I mean at least have the highest PER on your own team.

[bdreason]

oh you're missing CP3 too. So maybe top 15ish for Butler.

[nathanjizzle]

Butler Top 10 :lol

You don't become a Top 10 player on the basis of a week long hot streak. No one's calling DeRozan a Top 10 player and he's been just as good recently.

Harden, Westbrook, George, Chris Paul, Cousins, Kawhi, LeBron, KD, Curry, Griffin, Draymond, Klay, Davis, Lowry, Melo are all better. He's definitely in the Top 20 and climbing though.

arguable.

[RRR3]

CP3>>>>Flake.

[Legends66NBA7]

Hard to say. At his best, he's certainly playing like one.

I'd say he's Top 20 for sure and he's fluctuating up and down between there.

[ShawkFactory]

If he continues this for the entire season and also has some moments in the playoffs then we'll talk.

Right now, no

[TrueBlue89]

arguable.
:biggums: Butler is NOT better than Griffin, Harden, George you lunatic. And it's not arguable.

Dray, Klay, Lowry are somewhat debatable though.

[TAZORAC]

Not top 10 at all, not even top 15....you nerds think a good player on a good team is GREAT.

Put him on a bad team, just like Leonard, or Klay, and they won't look that good. Butler is no better then Chris Bosh.

[SuperPippen]

oh you're missing CP3 too. So maybe top 15ish for Butler.

I'm basing my listing on performance so far this season, which is different from a simple "best player" ranking.

Butler this season has outperformed CP3, and Drummond IMO isn't quite at the level of the others due to his suspect defense and historically horrid FT shooting, but it's certainly a debate. And you're right about Davis being better. I actually forgot him in the OP, so I'll make an edit.

[Angel Face]

Easily, the best SG in the league as well.

[SuperPippen]

:biggums: Butler is NOT better than Griffin, Harden, George you lunatic. And it's not arguable.

Dray, Klay, Lowry are somewhat debatable though.

lol at this "it's not arguable" sh*t. Butler's gotten the better of George twice, his team has a better record, and their stats are easily comparable. The following comparison is purely statistical, since I've not had the opportunity to watch George as much I'd like to, but here goes: George has in edge in scoring by 2.3 PPG, but Butler is scoring his 22 PPG more efficiently. George as a frontcourt player rightly has a significant edge in rebounding, and the assist numbers of the two are about even.

But their steal numbers are dead even, and Butler blocks significantly more shots. Furthermore, I can state that Butler's defense has returned to form after a relative lapse last year, although I haven't seen enough of George to state whether his reputation as a strong defender is justified. Additionally, Butler has outplayed George twice and the team that he is leading has a better record than the team George is leading.

Basically, one is not definitively better than the other, and based on the statistics and the highlights I've watched of George, as well as the head-to-heads, I believe that Butler has been superior so far this season.

Harden is also arguable, at least as far as performance this season, because his complete lack of defense renders him a more incomplete player than Butler (although I obviously understand that offense is generally weighed more heavily than defense for perimeter players).

[SuperPippen]

Butler Top 10 :lol

You don't become a Top 10 player on the basis of a week long hot streak. No one's calling DeRozan a Top 10 player and he's been just as good recently.

Harden, Westbrook, George, Chris Paul, Cousins, Kawhi, LeBron, KD, Curry, Griffin, Draymond, Klay, Davis, Lowry, Melo, LMA are all better. He's definitely in the Top 20 and climbing though.

I need to see more first. I mean at least have the highest PER on your own team.

I would argue that this season Butler has outperformed Chris Paul, Draymond, Thompson, Lowry, Melo, LMA, and arguably even George. You may disagree, and that's fine, but to say that it "isn't arguable" is completely foolish by any standards.

Being a Bulls fan and having had the privilege to see all of his games, I am obviously somewhat biased, but I do believe none of what I've said is irrational.

[PsychoBe]

i've been watching butler closely and he has literally put this bull's team on his back and became their number one franchise player. it's no coincidence that their win streak started once he did.

he had been their best player for awhile now too but they had to buy into it, and it worked.

i'm comfortable enough to say that he has been carrying his team as much or if not more than paul george has been, and he's been slightly more consistent than him too.

he's also comfortably better than harden due to his first all-team level defense, and he's clutch down the stretch and unlike klay he doesn't play with the best player in the league.

he's not better than kawhi though, because he can't shoot like him.

i'd put him above westbrook only because westbrook has had some poor games even when playing alongside durant who purposefully makes the game easier for him and westbrook on average takes more shots than durant does.

i'd also even put him above griffin because griffin has been injured and out of sorts this season due to the fact that he's forced to stretch the floor and play out of his realm.

[Gileraracer]

Yeah top 10 is realistic

[masonanddixon]

I'm not saying Butler sucks but I will say for a fact that if he becomes the go-to guy in the postseason the Bulls won't make it past the second round. They need to go to Gasol every possession (who by the way is balling out of his mind this season).

[Rocketswin2013]

fringe imo

[nathanjizzle]

:biggums: Butler is NOT better than Griffin, Harden, George you lunatic. And it's not arguable.

Dray, Klay, Lowry are somewhat debatable though.

you are out of your mind. i dont conversate with mindless bafoons. goodbye.

[AirFederer]

Not top 10 at all, not even top 15....you nerds think a good player on a good team is GREAT.

Put him on a bad team, just like Leonard, or Klay, and they won't look that good. Butler is no better then Chris Bosh.

You're making no sense. He's the biggest reason they're good.

[BIZARRO]

I totally agree. Butler is top 10, when you factor out both side of the court.

And he's better than many of the players named here who are coasting on name recognition from years past.

I have him currently at #8 or #9.

[Proctor]

Not top 10 at all, not even top 15....you nerds think a good player on a good team is GREAT.

Put him on a bad team, just like Leonard, or Klay, and they won't look that good. Butler is no better then Chris Bosh.
Lolok :roll:

Butler is far better and more impactful than Bosh at this stage of his career.

As for the assertion in this thread that he is not better than Blake Griffin...what? :biggums: What does Griffin do better?

[zeerghit]

I totally agree. Butler is top 10, when you factor out both side of the court.

And he's better than many of the players named here who are coasting on name recognition from years past.

I have him currently at #8 or #9.

Westbook, Durant, Griffin, LBJ, Kwahi, Green, Cousins, Marc, Paul, Curry for sure.

LMA, Drummond, Lowry,Melo, Irving, Harden, Davis, Wall debatable

[beastee]

He is probably about in the 12-14 range, but he has established himself as a top ten player in the refs eyes and is getting all the star calls. I am sure it is because how hard he plays with very little flash. He doesn't need to stir imaginary bowls or stomp around like a buffoon, but his game has matured to a point where that 5/90 deal is one of the best contracts in the league going forward.

[feyki]

Curry



Kawhi
Lebron
Durant


West
George
Dray
Butler
CP3
Harden

[tontoz]

Top 10 is iffy. Certainly top 20. Props to him for improving his game so much.

[Spurs5Rings2014]

hes a top 20-25 player.

:biggums:

You're not a real Bulls fan, you're just a Rose stan. You're the warriorfan of the Bulls.

[nathanjizzle]

:biggums:

You're not a real Bulls fan, you're just a Rose stan. You're the warriorfan of the Bulls.

you say that because i am not willing to over state how good he is as a player?:roll:

[Spurs5Rings2014]

you say that because i am not willing to over state how good he is as a player?:roll:

He's definitely higher than top 25 and more than likely higher than top 20. Probably at bare minimum a top 15 player in the league. You'd have to be a serious Rose stan to think otherwise.

:confusedshrug:

[Milbuck]

you say that because i am not willing to over state how good he is as a player?:roll:
No, because despite him unquestionably being the Bulls' best player and better than Rose who has been garbage all year until just a couple weeks ago, you shit on him at literally every opportunity you get. No actual Bulls fan would dump on Butler and irrationally support Rose as much as you do.

[Fudge]

Durant
LeBron
Leonard
Westbrook
Curry
Davis
CP3
Draymond
Griffin
Harden
George

That's 11 already, so nope.

[Vragrant]

Griffin is too high. If you can't pass out of a double team (panic actually), how can I consider you a superstar? It's actually a strategy teams employ.

[nathanjizzle]

He's definitely higher than top 25 and more than likely higher than top 20. Probably at bare minimum a top 15 player in the league. You'd have to be a serious Rose stan to think otherwise.

:confusedshrug:

:roll: you are just ignorant if you think butler is a lock as a top 15. hes averaging 22 points and 3 assists as a star shooting guard. :roll:

[ArbitraryWater]

oh you're missing CP3 too. So maybe top 15ish for Butler.

Nah, top 10, he's better than CP3 and Harden, probably better than PG too.

[nathanjizzle]

No, because despite him unquestionably being the Bulls' best player and better than Rose who has been garbage all year until just a couple weeks ago, you shit on him at literally every opportunity you get. No actual Bulls fan would dump on Butler and irrationally support Rose as much as you do.

ive only expressed the truth. when i made the thread about butler being big headed, was i not right? did he not go ahead and call out the coach and the team? hahah. guys like you who overrate butler would deem the truth to be "hating" :confusedshrug: frankly, i dont care if you think im a bulls fan or not. basketball fandom isnt that important to me in the real world because i have alot more going for me than just which player or team im a fan of. lol. btw, i wouldnt talk if i were you, you are one of those bucks fans that root for the bulls, thats why its practically home court everytime the bulls come to play in Milwaukee. now stop following me around trying to get my attention like a little bitch.

[TrueBlue89]

Nah, top 10, he's better than CP3 and Harden, probably better than PG too.

No he isn't you. Jimmy Butler is not leading a team like the Rockets to the WCF and better than CP3 whos' been Top 10 for nearly a decade?:biggums:

[Lebronxrings]

how the fck are cousins and davis top 10 players? Can't even make the playoffs with stacked teams. Lowry is definitely a top 10 player, maybe even top 5.

[SuperPippen]

Bump.

53 points tonight, 51 in regulation. And he carried a lethargic Bulls squad to victory after a large deficit.

The Bulls as a whole are playing some frustrating ball right now, but Butler just continues to improve. :rockon:

[Legends66NBA7]

how the fck are cousins and davis top 10 players? Can't even make the playoffs with stacked teams. Lowry is definitely a top 10 player, maybe even top 5.

He's not.

Top 10 players also should step up when it matters most. Not crumble into oblivion.

[tontoz]

Butler has been on a roll since he called out the coach.

[90sgoat]

Ok, Butler had a great game, but lets be real how many FTs? That was some D-Whistle level with bad calls.

Great game aside, this shows how important Gasol is. He is out and suddenly the Butler led Bulls struggle to beat the worst team in league history.