Jimmy Butler has missed the team's last 17 games, but that hasn't stopped him from preaching just how important a playoff stint is over the course of what's left of this regular season.

Having missed a key matchup against the Denver Nuggets last night, despite being listed as active, the All-Star forward emphasized the magnitude of the attention to detail and work ethic that will take to come out as one of the top eight teams in the West.

“I think everybody wants to win. But are you willing to do any and everything to make sure that we win these games?” Butler said after the morning shootaround, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “That’s what I have to punch into everybody’s head from now until the tipoff of this game, and probably a lot during the game, is the fact that you have to know who you’re guarding, whether you get switched on to somebody, you’ve got to know what plays they’re running. This is definitely going to be some playoff basketball.”

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The Timberwolves missed Butler dearly after a 100-96 loss to the Nuggets, which helped Denver tie them for the record, separated by a mere 2-1 advantage in head-to-head matchups.

Minnesota will have one last crack at the Nuggets and likely a vital one, hosting them for the regular season finale at the Target Center on Apr. 11. But before that takes place, they'll have to mow down a surprising Los Angeles Lakers team tonight that upset the San Antonio Spurs earlier this week, along with a Memphis Grizzlies team on Monday.