Jimmy Butler Question: time for us to act like he's been there before?

[LloydMooresLegs]

I was able to refrain from creating an in-game thread tonight.  But now it is post-game.  Wow.

In a come from behind win for the Bulls, Stacey King (no stranger to hyperbole) was effusive in his praise of JB.  JB's D on Prince was outstanding.  46 minutes.  Near double double (18/9) with 4 assists.  0-3 on 3 pointers (as I was writing that, he made one, absolutely clutch, and finished 1-4) and still not shooting great, but making key free throws and one clutch jumper.  Oh, and he was named player of the game for the second time in three games. 

Question:  I think it now is safe to act like we have been here before with JB-wasn't on the board when Wes went through the same thing (and we don't talk about him much anymore, or DWade, for that matter).  Do we have to wait 'til he gets the big contract, or can we now just say this is expected and only post for the extraordinary?

[LloydMooresLegs]

And when I say "us", I guess I mean me.   

[Marqevans]

18 points 9 rebounds.

[buckchuckler]

Keep creating in game threads.  Love it.  Who cares if teams like Kentucky don't care about their players when they leave.  They are usually only there for a season, and frankly no one gets attached to a rent a player.  When you get a chance to watch a player grow and watch him succeed at the highest level, I think its a good thing to pull for them and be proud. 

[MUSF]

 

Question:  I think it now is safe to act like we have been here before with JB-wasn't on the board when Wes went through the same thing (and we don't talk about him much anymore, or DWade, for that matter).  Do we have to wait 'til he gets the big contract, or can we now just say this is expected and only post for the extraordinary?

The excitement for solid contributions will die down naturally at some point like it did with Wes and Wade, or it will go dormant then re-surface periodically like it has for Novak.

[RushmoreAcademy]

I don't think it's that time yet Lloyd.  I'm a long time Bulls fan and I'm still watching offense possessions with my eyes on what JFB is doing instead of where the ball is.  These are some huge, defining games for him, so I appreciate the threads and match your excitement!

[Galway Eagle]

Hope he continues this it'll do wonders for recruiting.  Love our other NBA affiliates but they all mostly play/coach outside of Marquettes traditional recruiting grounds. 

[tower912]

First, let's give JFB all the credit he deserves from overcoming his challenges and getting to the league.    Second, let's give Buzz his due for taking this kid that nobody heard of and getting the best of what he had in him out.   Some say that any good coach could have done it.   I disagree.   Sometimes it has to be THE right coach for that person.   I believe that in this case, only Buzz could have gotten JFB to the league.      Third, let this be a cautionary tale to anyone who ever says about a first year player "this guys sucks."    18-19 year olds are rarely finished products.   The ones that are go to Kentucky, UNC, or Duke. 

[WarriorInNYC]

Its getting close to that point where we act like he's been there before.  But I just can't help but get super excited to see Jimmy of all people performing this way.

Given his amazing story, and he never was such a highly sought after recruit, its always great to see someone like him play this way.  He will always be one of my favorite players at MU.

Let's see how things shake out once Deng comes back.

[real chili 83]

Legs, keep it up.

On a week where there's no game on, threads like this are fun.

[Avenue Commons]

It's time for everyone to act like this program has been there before.

We should expect MU players to not only make the NBA, but to play well.

[buckchuckler]

It's time for everyone to act like this program has been there before.

We should expect MU players to not only make the NBA, but to play well.

Oh get over yourself.  You don't need to enjoy the ride, but let other people if they want.  It isn't like there is a thread here every time Wade has a great game.  Jimmy is at another point in his career.  What is the problem with posting his accomplishments as he establishes himself in the league?

Marquette has had some recent success in placing players in the NBA yes.  Does that mean we can't get pumped up for one of our guys who is making strides in the league?

Jimmy is acting like he's been there before and he is rising to the moments.  That's enough.  We are just fans.

[buckchuckler]

And let's face it.  MU has one star in the league and one regular.  The rest are role players.  If you are acting like there is an All Star Roster from MU, you're fooling yourself. 

[boyonthedock]

First, let's give JFB all the credit he deserves from overcoming his challenges and getting to the league.    Second, let's give Buzz his due for taking this kid that nobody heard of and getting the best of what he had in him out.   Some say that any good coach could have done it.   I disagree.   Sometimes it has to be THE right coach for that person.   I believe that in this case, only Buzz could have gotten JFB to the league.      Third, let this be a cautionary tale to anyone who ever says about a first year player "this guys sucks."    18-19 year olds are rarely finished products.   The ones that are go to Kentucky, UNC, or Duke. 

I don't know why Jimmy is a cautionary tale for first year "this guy sucks" people. Butler was awesome the second he set foot on the court as a sophomore. Played almost 20 minutes a game and was the 4th most efficient scorer in the whole NCAA. Was the 6th man that got a lot of burn on a team stacked at his position (lazar, wes).

[AZWarrior]

I don't know why Jimmy is a cautionary tale for first year "this guy sucks" people. Butler was awesome the second he set foot on the court as a sophomore. Played almost 20 minutes a game and was the 4th most efficient scorer in the whole NCAA. Was the 6th man that got a lot of burn on a team stacked at his position (lazar, wes).

I remember some very disparaging comments about JFB's ability, toughness and potential coming from posters to this board.

[StillWarriors]

I enjoy these threads. I love following the MU guys in the NBA and get excited seeing them succeed. It's fun to have a forum to share that enthusiasm on those nights when our NBA guys do something special. Most of the people we generally interact with on a daily basis don't care if Jimmy Butler (it's a little different with him being in Chicago where I live), Steve Novak or Wesley Matthews have a big game. I like being able to "discuss" those performances here with other MU fans.  

[JWags85]

I don't know why Jimmy is a cautionary tale for first year "this guy sucks" people. Butler was awesome the second he set foot on the court as a sophomore. Played almost 20 minutes a game and was the 4th most efficient scorer in the whole NCAA. Was the 6th man that got a lot of burn on a team stacked at his position (lazar, wes).

Revisionist history.  He was valuable contributor and gave us good minutes, but he was super raw and very up and down.  Even as a junior, he was scoring and ended up Honorable Mention All BE, but he was routinely criticized for being too soft and not finishing.  If you would call him "awesome" or imply he was NBA bound during either of those seasons, then you're either a liar or reflecting back on his MU career with bias.

[MUWarrior11]

It's time for everyone to act like this program has been there before.

We should expect MU players to not only make the NBA, but to play well.

That get's gold medal for the douchiest comment of the day. 

So what are we supposed to act like? And why? Who are we trying to impress? Its an internet message board. If someone is pumped about Jimmy putting up 18/9, then so be it. You, on the other hand, can play it cool and act like you expected it. That'll show 'em

[boyonthedock]

Revisionist history.  He was valuable contributor and gave us good minutes, but he was super raw and very up and down.  Even as a junior, he was scoring and ended up Honorable Mention All BE, but he was routinely criticized for being too soft and not finishing.  If you would call him "awesome" or imply he was NBA bound during either of those seasons, then you're either a liar or reflecting back on his MU career with bias.

Perhaps there were some chuckleheads here, but my living room parties and MU section all thought very highly of butler. Kid drew fouls like nobodies business in just his sophomore year. He would just slip in the back plop it in off glass and another from the line. Played smart and efficient. Its tough to find kids that do that. Jimmy did from day one. I certainly did not think NBA until his senior year, but that he would be an asset to the team and a player MU could count on? Absolutely thought that his sophomore year. I can't imagine EVER questioning an MU kids toughness. Do people not see how every player on this team for years now outworks the other team every single night?

[brewcity77]

Revisionist history.  He was valuable contributor and gave us good minutes, but he was super raw and very up and down.  Even as a junior, he was scoring and ended up Honorable Mention All BE, but he was routinely criticized for being too soft and not finishing.  If you would call him "awesome" or imply he was NBA bound during either of those seasons, then you're either a liar or reflecting back on his MU career with bias.

Disagree completely. As a sophomore, my roommate and I frequently talked about how high Jimmy's upside was and felt he had a shot at the league. It was obvious he was raw, but it was also obvious he had the physical tools and body to play at the next level and was already showing off some flashes of brilliance.

By the time he was a junior, I felt there was a better than average shot he'd make it. I highly doubt I was the only one.

[Lennys Tap]

Disagree completely. As a sophomore, my roommate and I frequently talked about how high Jimmy's upside was and felt he had a shot at the league. It was obvious he was raw, but it was also obvious he had the physical tools and body to play at the next level and was already showing off some flashes of brilliance.

By the time he was a junior, I felt there was a better than average shot he'd make it. I highly doubt I was the only one.

Jimmy was a little lost at first - one guy here went so far as to call him a wasted scholarship, but he started to improve almost immediately and never stopped. That said, your opinion of his chances at the next level were much higher than most.

[Silkk the Shaka]

I remember some very disparaging comments about JFB's ability, toughness and potential coming from posters to this board.

I'll raise my hand and confess to referring to him as a "wasted scholarship" after watching the Dayton game in person.  He looked clueless on D and scared on O - I thought he'd be another in a long line of JUCO flops Crean foisted upon the program.  But by the end of that year you could tell the lightbulb was starting to go on.  I remember he hit a FT line-extended jumper in the Syracuse game we lost in OT and I was shocked he even attempted a shot outside of 3 feet, but he looked comfortable doing it.  Then he had his breakout game against Nova where you could tell he had a high ceiling.  He put in a ton of work the next two seasons, got much more comfortable in the offense, and improved his game steadily over the next two years.  I was totally wrong, and he is a major reason I will never write off a young player again.  As an aside, Cubillan and Acker are major reasons I will never write off players until their senior years are complete.  I think a lot of people are learning their lesson with Blue this year.

[Lennys Tap]

 I was totally wrong, and he is a major reason I will never write off a young player again.  As an aside, Cubillan and Acker are major reasons I will never write off players until their senior years are complete.  I think a lot of people are learning their lesson with Blue this year.

Wesley, Acker, Cooby, JFB and Crowder have all taken MAJOR steps forward in their senior year under Buzz. Hope we can say the same about Junior when this season is over.

[brewcity77]

Looking back, I had my doubts about Jimmy at the end of his junior season, but felt he had a decent shot before the start of his senior season. Not sure what he did over the summer to convince me 

My roommate was very bullish on him from the start.

[Henry Sugar]

Speaking of history, I totally forgot that JFBs first season was the same as the last season of James/McNeal/Matthews. Not to mention Lazar as a junior, then Burke/Cubillan/Acker.

Did people even really talk much about Jimmy his first year? Between he and Pat Hazel, they were the only underclassmen on a well established roster. Not to mention the storyline of how Buzz got hired (cough), and then the team started off 12-2 in conference before James got injured. All during the year that the BE had three #1 seeds. Personally, Jimmy didn't really sneak much onto my consciousness until later in the season when he was solidly contributing. It was after the season that the quality of his season sunk in, and people started to realize that he was the fourth most efficient player in the nation.

Also, before his senior season, Cracked Sidewalks wrote that he deserved to be in contention for BE POY.

Back to the question, I am enjoying the Butler posts. Thanks for putting in the updates!