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| Jimmy Butler named the NBA's Most Improved Player. |
Last season, Butler showed glimpses of being the player that the Chicago Bulls needed in the backcourt along with former MVP, Derrick Rose. But after turning down a lucrative, eight-figure contract from the Chicago Bulls, Butler's confidence in the work and commitment he had put into his game during the off-season has been on display all season.
Butler improved upon his solid third year averages of 13.1PPG, 4.93RPG, 2.61APG, 1.90SPG, 0.54BPG to set several career-high averages: 20.0PPG, 5.83RPG, 3.26APG, 1.75SPG, 0.55BPG.
In his second year as the Chicago Bulls' starting shooting guard, Butler led the team in scoring and steals, and once again, he was among the top 5 shooting guards in the league in all statistical categories.
Jimmy Butler accepted the award in front of a packed United Center crowd prior to Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Then "Jimmy Buckets" went to work, once again leading the Chicago Bulls in minutes, providing the Bulls an additional 4th quarter scorer to carry the load with Derrick Rose, and checking Lebron James for the bulk of the game and making one of the best players in the game an inefficient scorer.
In case you missed the game, you will most definitely hear about the incredible three-point game-winning shot by Derrick Rose. But Jimmy Butler's emergence as the Most Improved Player (and future Most Valuable Player candidate) was every bit responsible for keeping the Chicago Bulls within reach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who also had a great deal of help from the officiating crew.
While he has greatly improved in his skill set, Jimmy Butler has always demonstrated mental toughness, particularly as a defender on Lebron James. Despite not getting the benefits of the Lebron-friendly officiating much of the time, Butler was once again able to keep his composure and stay focused on doing what it takes to win.
Congratulations to Jimmy Butler on earning the NBA's Most Improved Player of the Year in recognition of a great season that will hopefully culminate in an NBA Championship.
Want to wish "Jimmy Buckets" congratulations on winning the NBA's Most Improved Player? Tell him what you think in the comments below!
