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Jimmy Butler stops Suns’ alley-oop attempt (Video)

By Will Osgood

January 29, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Wayne Ellington (2) moves in for a basket against the defense of Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
January 29, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Wayne Ellington (2) moves in for a basket against the defense of Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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Chicago Bulls’ Jimmy Butler makes the defensive play of the night in Chicago Bulls 112-107 win versus the Phoenix Suns. 

Jimmy Butler is the likely shoe-in for the 2015 NBA Most Improved Player award. He also notched his first trip to the All-Star Game earlier this month.

The big reason for those two honors (assuming he is given the former) is his improved offense. He’s scoring 20.6 points per game. Last season he averaged 13.1, which destroyed his previous career high by 4.5 points per game.

Entering 2014, he was a 30.9 percent shooter from three-point range. This year he has improved to 35.0 percent. He’s nearly shooting 50 percent from the field overall, which only a few stars can boast of doing—only Steph Curry is near the mark among non-post players, aside from Butler.

He has also improved his rebounding, passing game (up 0.7 assists per game) and is even shooting significantly better from the charity stripe. Yet it is his defense which has always been Butler’s calling card. It is the reason he played much at all as a rookie in Chicago, after being drafted with the final pick of the first round in 2011 out of Marquette.

It is what made him a valuable commodity to the past two overachieving Bulls’ teams, sans Derrick Rose. And Saturday night, it is what put him in the running for the play of the night.

Part of what make Jimmy “Buckets” such a wonderful defender is his size. He is, after all, a 6’7” wing player. In his pre-draft profile prior to the 2011 draft, he was described as a “solid athlete with nice overall quickness…Great length”.

He shows both of those traits on this play, coupled with great instincts and anticipation.

Like a safety playing center field in Cover 1 or Cover 3, he continues to backpedal while reading the eyes of the passer.

After a Bulls turnover, Butler does not panic as so many defenders do in this particular 2-on-1 situation. He instead stays between both men and the basket.

When P.J. Tucker gets the ball on the right wing, Butler stays between the man and the basket. He forces Tucker to make a decision.

Of course the Phoenix Suns make the play easier for Butler by employing poor transition spacing. Nonetheless, not all defenders would be as disciplined as Butler is on this play.

It’s reminiscent of Mighty Ducks 3 when Coach O’Ryan implores Ducks captain Charlie Conway to make the offensive player “make the first move”.

By doing so, Butler gains the advantage and is simply able to use his already described athleticism and length to knock the alley-oop pass into the stands. While it looks dramatic, Butler’s defensive skill actually makes this a simple play.

Overall, it was a great defensive play by one of the NBA’s best defensive players. It’s become routine for Butler, who is quickly becoming one of the league’s best overall players. It was a key play in the Bulls’ 112-107 win.

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