The Jimmy Butler experience in Philadelphia was a fleeting one for the 76ers and their fans. The Sixes acquired Butler from the Minnesota Timberwolves early in the 2018-19 season and he provided some terrific moments before leaving for the Miami Heat in free agency.
Butler averaged 18.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 55 games for the Sixers before leaving for Miami and guiding the Heat to three trips to the Eastern Conference finals and two NBA finals appearances. He is now with the Golden State Warriors after things turned sour in Miami.
HoopsHype ranked the top 20 small forwards in the history of the league and Butler comes in ranked No. 20 on that list:
One of the best two-way swingmen of his generation, Houston native Jimmy Butler led two undermanned Heat teams to the NBA Finals and is making a run at our HoopsHype79 ranking with his play over recent years. Butler, despite lacking much of a three-point shot, is an analytics darling and a highly efficient player not only for his defensive impact but also because he’s been so good at drawing fouls and sinking free throws at a high rate. It also helps that Butler is so adept at scoring out of the midrange, possessing an old-school flair in this three-point-crazed era of the sport.
Butler’s time with the Sixers was short, but the future Hall of Famer did a lot of good things in Philadelphia and should be remembered fondly by fans. Things just didn’t work out between the two sides and that happens at times.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Former Sixers star Jimmy Butler ranked No. 20 small forward in history