In somewhat surprising fashion, the Philadelphia 76ers lost their first game with Jimmy Butler on the court Wednesday night against the Magic in Orlando.
Butler himself scored just 14 points and went without a single point in the fourth quarter. All said, Philadelphia blew a 20-plus point lead in the game.
If we expected this to impact Butler and his new team, we’re going to be sorely mistaken. In talking about how Butler fits in with the Sixers, star youngster Ben Simmons indicated that he’s a great fit. More than that, he said that Butler is a great locker room presence.
“He (Butler) is a positive guy. He’s a really positive guy in the locker room. He’s cool. He wants to be here and he wants to win,” Simmons said, via Hoops Hype. “He’s always going to be one of the first guys in the gym, which we love. He is someone who is going to push everyone. He is going to help a lot.”
We’re pretty sure there’s a few people in Minneapolis who disagree with this sentiment. After all, the end of Butler’s tenure with the Timberwolves was filled with a rift between the All-NBA performer and his now-former teammates. Once Butler requested a trade, that was brought to an entirely new level.
Now starring for a championship contending Sixers team, the hope here is that Butler left the drama behind him in Minnesota. If Simmons’ comments are any indication, it’s possible that is in fact the case. Only time will tell.