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Jimmy Butler faced members of the media on Tuesday morning as part of his introductory press conference with the Sixers. During his interview, the four-time All-Star noted that he is fond of the ‘Big 3' moniker that is developing in Philly.
Jimmy Butler on the Sixers having a "Big Three": "I like the sound of it."
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) November 13, 2018
Dubbing Philadelphia's trio of Butler, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid as a ‘Big 3' is a bit presumptuous, but the potential is certainly there. If they manage to mesh well, the Eastern Conference could be in for a rude awakening.
Butler's arrival in Philly comes after weeks of back-and-forth with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The former Marquette Golden Eagle made it clear that he wanted to be traded, but the Wolves were holding out for the right deal. That deal was realized on Saturday, when the Sixers sent Robert Covington, Dario Saric, Jerryd Bayless and a 2022 second-round draft pick to the Wolves for Butler and Justin Patton.
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In his 10 appearances with the Timberwolves this season, Butler, who's expected to make his Sixers debut on Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic, has posted averages of 21.3 points on 47.1 percent shooting from the field (37.8 percent from beyond the arc), 5.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.4 steals and a block in 36.1 minutes per outing.
The NBA has known several great ‘Big 3's' over the years. The Los Angeles Lakers may have started this trend way back in the 80's, when they had Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy on the floor at the same time. However, fans in Boston will argue that it was the Celtics who dawned the ‘Big 3' era with Bill Russell, Bob Cousy and Tommy Heinsohn.
For the record, Bulls fans have a stake in the Big 3 claim as well, as Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman served as the epitome of the term in the mid-90s.
Will Philly's new triumvirate of talent be the next Big 3? Perhaps. For now, stay tuned.
