NBA Chicago Bulls

Making The Case For Jimmy Butler As An NBA All-Star Starter

jimmy butler chicago bulls sg shooting guard

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With a little over a month away from the NBA All-Star Game being played at Madison Square Garden, talks are starting to heat up about who should start the game. There is some debate over certain positions, and one of those is shooting guard for the Eastern Conference.

Many would argue the starter should be Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat and a legitimate case can be made for the 10-time All-Star. However, a stronger case can be made for fellow Marquette University product, Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls.

Although Wade has slowed down at this point of his career, he is still an NBA All-Star for this season. He currently leads all Eastern Conference SGs in scoring with an average of 23.2 PPG. He is also ranked at the top in field goal percentage, shooting an outstanding 51 percent. Additionally, he is the conference leader in APG with 5.6. These are all note-worthy stats to acknowledge, and he’s also ranked fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio and fourth in blocks per game.

On the other hand, Wade is ranked eighth in the conference when it comes to rebounding and steals per game. Also, he is ranked 12th in free throw percentage shooting at a subpar 72 percent. There’s no reason to have such a low percentage when you’re the top offensive usage option on the team. The effects of the LeBron James returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers has Wade unable to will Miami to a current winning record as they are presently 14-19.

In short, Wade has done all that he can, but perhaps it’s time for him to be a reserve for the 2015 All-Star Game.

In all of the categories that were mentioned for Wade, Butler is ranked no worse than sixth. In comparison, he is ranked second in scoring and rebounding, while also being ranked fourth in field goal percentage and sixth in assists. One important thing to note regarding Butler and assists is that he is also ranked first in assist-to-turnover ratio. He’s not only scoring well, but he is also sharing the ball at an efficient rate. His free throw shooting has him ranked fifth as he is shooting at an excellent 83 percent.

The remarkable difference between Butler and Wade at this point in their career is on the defensive end. Butler is ranked third out of all Eastern Conference SGs in terms of steal and blocks per game. His play alongside major offensive threats such as Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol has been a major reason why the Bulls currently having a 23-10 record and tied for third in the conference.

Butler has even had to shoulder more of the offensive load since Rose and Gasol have missed some time this season. Speaking of missing time, Butler has only missed two games this season compared to Wade’s eight, and we know that more missed games are coming for D-Wade while Butler should remain durable while logging a heavy dose of minutes every night.

Wade’s run as the best shooting guard in the Eastern Conference is officially over, and the crown has been snatched by Butler. He is simply doing more on a better team in a more efficient fashion. Wade currently leads all conference SGs in All-Star votes right now. Hopefully, the voting fans will realize that a changing of the guard has taken place on the court and vote Butler into his first All-Star Game as a starter.

Rojé Smith is a Fantasy Sports writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @RoKnowsDFS, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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