Former Coach: Intelligence And Versatility Make Butler 'Really Good'
CHICAGO (WSCR) When Jimmy Butler heard his name called as the 30th overall pick in Thursday night's NBA Draft, it capped off a long and unique journey from the Tomball, Texas to Tyler Junior College to Marquette University, and ultimately ending with the Chicago Bulls.
The odds were stacked against Butler throughout his childhood, but he never let that hold him back.
The odds were stacked against him as an under-recruited player out of high school, but again, he didn't let that hold him back.
"He was ranked 81st in the state of Texas," Marquette head coach Buzz Williams said on the Laurence Holmes Show. "The 82nd player went Division III, and the 80th player went to a Division II school in Texas."
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Like most under-recruited players out of high school, or under-valued players in a Draft, Butler isn't blessed with elite-level athleticism or size. What he does have his a strong work ethic and a skill set that make him a great fit for a specific team and system. And in Butler's case, that team is the Bulls.
"I think that his intelligence, along with his versatility will allow him to be really good," Williams said.
Projecting Butler's future is difficult. He may not go on to be a superstar, but he can be a very valuable player for a title contending team like the Bulls.
"Is he an All-League player? I don't know," Williams said. "He wasn't necessarily an All-League player at Marquette. But he became a guy that you really couldn't get off the floor by the end of his sophomore year. He was playing 31 minutes a game at the end of his sophomore year."
