I had a chance to chat with ESPN NBA analyst Doris Burke on a number of subjects, including this upcoming Wolves season. Here is her take on Jimmy Butler:
"I'm anxious, always, when you add personnel to a group, what is the effect of that particular individual? And obviously the biggest addition is Jimmy Butler. This is a person who has proven himself to be an elite two-way player. One of the things I remember Jimmy saying about Tom Thibodeau that he so appreciated is that everything had to be earned with Tom. He wasn't going to give you anything.
"I remember the first game Tom went back to Chicago [last season] as a coach with the Timberwolves, Jimmy and Taj Gibson said essentially the same thing: They were so anxious to prove to Tom that they were making strides as players. They took such pride in their work habits that there were significant strides being made. That just spoke volumes to me about Tom."
Read Michael Rand's blog at startribune.com/randball. mrand@startribune.com
