Every spring, we’re reintroduced to “Playoff Jimmy.”
One of his former teammates has an idea of what turns Jimmy Butler into Playoff Jimmy.
“You know, I think he’s tricking people,” former Heat guard Goran Dragic told “Tobin & Leroy” on Friday. "You know how? Because in the regular season, he doesn’t shoot 3s, and then when the playoffs start, he starts shooting 3s and he’s making all the 3s.”
Dragic is right, though. Whether it’s the ultimate difference-maker in Butler’s postseason form is up for debate, but he does shoot more triples in the playoffs. Butler has averaged 2.4 3-point attempts during the regular season in his career compared to 3.5 in the postseason.
The difference is even more staggering this season, when he went from averaging 1.3 attempts from distance during the regular season to now trying 3.4 per game.
In the end, it’s a variety of factors that go into making Butler a different player in the postseason – part skill, part makeup. Whatever the breakdown might be, Butler reiterates every postseason that he’s a star.
“Jimmy is a hell of a player, superstar in this league,” Dragic, who spent this season with the Bucks, said. “He’s shown that every time when the playoffs start he just elevates his game and he’s on another level. He’s got that confidence, and everyone is following him. It’s been unbelievable to watch him and to play alongside him. I wish him all the best in the finals.”
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