Minnesota Timberwolves president/head coach Tom Thibodeau took advantage of the Jimmy Butler practice incident to raise the price on his prized All-Star forward during trade conversations, a tactic he had long awaited since his star's request became public in early September.
“This is exactly what Tom Thibodeau wanted, which was him in the lineup on opening night,” said ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski during an appearance on The Jump. “The day that Jimmy came back and practiced, Thibs won. He waited out his owner, he waited out Jimmy, got him back on the court.”
Thibodeau and Butler are two peas in a pod in a twisted way — two people stuck in their ways, both with a fervent love for work ethic, dedication, toughness and all-around grit.
While the circumstances in Minnesota have thrown a wrench in their bond as coach and player, they still very much see eye-to-eye when it comes to how the team should perform, arguing that team chemistry is reflected by the performance on the court, not in practice.
“That’s how you measure chemistry. When guys are playing together, how do they play with each other? Do they play effectively?” said Thibodeau, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “That’s what was so encouraging to me about what we did last year. The starters were a very dynamic group. To be third in offense and seventh in defense and the record we had when everyone was healthy (37-22) was terrific. And we want to build off of that.”
The Timberwolves are reportedly still trying to find a suitable trade for Butler, especially after knowing the recent practice scandal only tickled Miami Heat president Pat Riley in all the right spots, knowing Butler can be the kind of tough-minded culture-setter the team needs to take the next step.
Butler did not look all that shabby for missing all of the preseason, posting 23 points, seven rebounds, three assists, four steals and a blocked shot in 32 minutes during a loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
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