Former NBA star Paul Pierce has weighed in on Dwyane Wade’s criticism of Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler.
Jimmy Butler transformed the Golden State Warriors when he was traded from the Miami Heat midseason. He was a perfect complement for Steph Curry, but when the four-time champion was ruled out with injury against the Minnesota Timberwolves, it all changed.
The Warriors needed Butler to step up with a more forceful approach to keep their playoff dreams alive, and it did not happen.
Butler scored only 17 points in the Warriors elimination loss and shot just 4-11 from the field.
He was heavily criticized by former Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade, who labelled it ‘bad offense’, and putting the blame on Butler.
Former NBA champion Paul Pierce was asked about Dwyane Wade’s comments on Jimmy Butler, and did not disagree.
In a discussion on FS1’s Speak, Pierce said he has seen Butler play at a higher level, and questioned why he did not manage to do so when the Warriors needed him the most.
Pierce said: “Absolutely right. This is what they brought Jimmy over for. We go back to what he did in the bubble, the way he played versus the Celtics. I went to a couple of those games that was a different Jimmy.
“Now he might not be able to do it consistently on a night in and night out basis, like he used to, because he’s put on some miles, and he’s some some years into his 30s. But when Steph goes out there’s no excuse at that point.
“That’s a time where Jimmy got to go out start swinging, and we just didn’t see that, because we saw it so many other times, and we just thought maybe he could uplift this team, or at least give him a fighting chance.”
Pierce points out that if anybody is well-placed to make the assessment on Jimmy Butler, then it is Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade.
He added: “Dwyane is right, you know. When you see a former Heat legend call out a guy who did it so many times in a Heat uniform, he knows what he’s talking about.
“He’s seen Jimmy night in and night out, so he knows what that looks like, so I have to agree with Dwayne Wade.”
There is one element to the Jimmy Butler discussion that is going a little under the radar, even if the player is not offering it as an excuse.
Butler suffered an injury against the Houston Rockets that saw him miss one game, before rushing back to play.
Pierce warned at the time of his injury that if Butler did return, he would not come back as the same player. And this turned out to be exactly the case.
