The Philadelphia 76ers are 17-8 since acquiring Jimmy Butler from the Minnesota Timberwolves, a good mark considering the type of overhaul required when a new star joins a team on the fly. Still, things have not been perfect in the City of Brotherly Love, and as a result, the team’s newest acquisition is challenging aspects of the team’s offense.
According to a report by Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Butler, who isn’t exactly known for his subtlety, has “aggressively” challenged Brett Brown with regards to his role within the team’s offense.
While a source close to Butler contends that his intense, direct style can come off as combative as he’s trying to make clear his viewpoints, Butler’s sluggish assimilation into the Sixers environment is causing some concern about his long-term viability and fit with the organization, league sources said. Nevertheless, the franchise’s full focus and resources remain on making this new partnership work this season and beyond.
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Butler has expressed a desire to teammates that he hopes to play in more traditional pick-and-roll and isolation sets, rather than trying to find his place in the Sixers free-flowing offense, league sources said. In searching for answers, Butler has met privately with Brown and his coaching staff, as well as general manager Elton Brand, league sources told ESPN.
Included in this is that Butler and Brett Brown reportedly had a contentious exchange during a film session, although Shelburne and Wojnarowski report that Brown thought it was “within the confines of the relationship that he’s developed with Butler.”
There are questions about the way the Sixers’ big three of Butler, Joel Embiid, and Ben Simmons can fit together harmoniously, although there are ways they can all get on the same page, as we explored here. With Butler approaching unrestricted free agency at the end of the season, though, Philadelphia has to figure them out sooner rather than later. One thing is for sure: Watching the Sixers’ offense in the coming days is going to be fascinating.
