Philadelphia 76ers: Playoff Jimmy Butler is a wonderful thing

While the Philadelphia 76ers dropped an ugly 102-111 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on April 13th, at least fans finally got a glimpse ‘Playoff Jimmy Butler’.

After hyping up the matchup for days; with articles, hype videos, and even custom Jordan 1s, watching the Philadelphia 76ers trail the Brooklyn Nets for three and a half quarters to the tune of an extremely forgettable 102-111 loss ultimately felt anticlimactic.

Fans booed, Joel Embiid checked on Amir Johnson‘s daughter via the reserve center’s phone, and Ben Simmons called out fans for booing; it was an ugly afternoon in the City of Brotherly Love for pretty much anyone not wearing a Brooklyn jersey.

However, it wasn’t all bad in the 215, even if it felt like it. While the 76ers’ outside shooting was atrocious (3-25), the team lacked passion, and Brett Brown once again made some head-scratching calls, fans were finally given an opportunity to see what they’ve been desperately waiting for since last fall: ‘Playoff Jimmy Butler‘.

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That’s right, after willingly accepting the role of the Sixers’ closer; disappearing for long swathes of games in the process, Jimmy Buckets finally made his triumphant return to the court and gave fans a glimpse of what to expect over the next few games.

Buckle up; this is going to be fun.

After scoring only five points in the first quarter, albeit to go with a rebound and a block, the 6-foot-8 forward went off to the tune of 36 points, nine rebounds, two steals, and two blocks; outscoring every player on the court in an ultimately losing effort.

Butler also hit one of his signature buzzer beater 3 pointers, even if it came before halftime and the team still trailed by eight.

But unfortunately, it was not enough to get the team back into the fray. No, despite Butler’s best efforts, the 76ers’ shooting woes and less than ideal defensive schemes couldn’t prevent the Nets from pretty much having their way with the team from the second quarter on.

Now I know what you are thinking; this was a soul-crushing loss. After limping into the playoffs, the 76ers just didn’t have enough time to get their third-look roster into action in time to face off against a deceptively good Nets squad that’s had their number all season due to a sum-greater-than-its-parts all-for-one roster peppered with a number of really good players, despite only having one fringe NBA star (D’Angelo Russell).

In a way, the Nets’ commitment to working hard and working together is actually incredibly in line with Butler’s own road dog attitude and could serve as a very legitimate display to why the former 30th overall pick may want to take an Amtrak train up the coast to find a new home in Brooklyn.

But that’s neither here, nor there.

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No, no matter where Butler decides to play next season (or J.J. Redick and Tobias Harris for that matter) his commitment to leaving it all on the court has to be applauded and appreciated by fans and casual observers alike. While Joel Embiid is without a doubt the best player on the team, the Philadelphia 76ers just can’t win without full effort performances by Jimmy Butler.