Jimmy Butler vs. Paul George is a debate that has been going for the past few seasons now. Ever since both players cemented themselves as legitimate stars in this league, both players have been compared to each other. Both have similar styles of play as both are great at the defensive end of the floor and have evolved their offensive repertoire to a star level. Not to mention, both have MVP intangibles and have at least been in the MVP conversation at some time or another throughout their primes. With this in mind, it’s time to delve in and decide the winner of the Jimmy Butler vs. Paul George debate.
Jimmy Butler vs. Paul George
Jimmy Butler vs. Paul George: The Case for PG
Paul George has always been a little more refined when it comes to the offensive end of the floor. For his career, PG13 has tallied 20.0 points, 3.4 assists, and an effective field goal percentage of 51.3 percent. On top of this, he currently possesses a career offensive rating of 109. Of course, we have to talk about his defensive prowess as well. George averages 1.7 steals per game to couple with a defensive rating of 102 for his career. During his Indiana and Oklahoma City tenure, he was called upon to guard the opponent’s best perimeter player. How does this compare to his opponent’s career though in this Jimmy Butler vs. Paul George debate?
Jimmy Butler vs. Paul George: The Case for Jimmy Buckets
Like George, Butler had to work his way up to an All-Star level. A Most Improved Player of the Year, multiple All-Star appearances, and All-NBA selections later, he has made it. The Chicago Bulls even made the decision to go forward with him and ship off the hometown hero, Derrick Rose, which showed how much faith the team had in Butler’s potential. Throughout his career, Butler has averaged 17.0 points, 3.7 assists, and an effective field goal percentage of 48.9 percent. On the opposite end of the floor, he has totaled 1.6 steals per game to go along with a defensive rating of 104. From becoming a self-made star in Chicago to leading an underdog Miami squad to a Finals appearance, Jimmy Butler has made a great case for being considered a top-10 player in the NBA.
The Verdict
For this verdict in the Jimmy Butler vs. Paul George battle, I am going to give the slight edge to Jimmy Buckets. While PG13 is a great player and an arguable top-15 player in this league, Butler has proven to be a hungry leader and a great asset in the playoffs. Sure, George has had some memorable duels with LeBron James in the playoffs. However, he has also had some unforgettable choke-jobs in postseason play as well.
Case in point, last year’s blown series against the Denver Nuggets when the Kawhi Leonard led Los Angeles Clippers were up three games to one in the second round. Meanwhile, Butler led a young and inexperienced Miami Heat team whose second-best player was Bam Adebayo all the way to the NBA Finals. Say what you will about the experiments with Butler in Minnesota and Philadelphia. It sure looks like Butler was in the right given last season’s Cinderella playoff run spearheaded by Jimmy Buckets himself.
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