"Jimmy Butler is not that unstoppable like those guys" - Udonis Haslem says "Playoff Jimmy" label is misleading
When Stephen Curry suffered an injury in the Golden State Warriors' series opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves in round two of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, their fans thought the team had enough to hold the fort until their superstar returned.
After all, they still had Jimmy Butler, known by his postseason nickname "Playoff Jimmy" because of his ability to elevate his game after the regular season. Butler carried a starless Miami Heat to three trips to the Eastern Conference Finals, including two NBA Finals appearances. However, that version of Butler never showed up, and the Warriors got eliminated in Game 5.
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Many wonder what happened to Jimmy, especially in the last two games of the series. But Udonis Haslem wasn't that surprised with his performances.
"As great as Jimmy is, the 'Playoff Jimmy' thing has put Jimmy Butler in a conversation with guys that are maybe a little bit above Jimmy Butler. And sometimes the playoff expectations of Jimmy Butler are the 'Playoff Jimmy Butler' expectations all the time. And that might not necessarily be who Jimmy Butler is," he said.
Jimmy not unstoppable
According to Haslem, Butler is a very good basketball player, but he will be the first one to tell you that he is not the most talented or the most athletic guy in the league. He is, however, a high IQ guy who preys on other guys' weaknesses and mistakes and turns them into opportunities.
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But against the Timberwolves, head coach Chris Finch schemed Butler well on defense. They showed Jimmy different looks by putting Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle or Anthony Edwards on him. When he got past them, the Warriors forward had a tough time finishing over Rudy Gobert inside the paint.
"I think Jimmy Butler gave what he gave, but Jimmy Butler didn't have any more to give against that team, and that's where you see the differences between other guys and Jimmy," Haslem added. "Because I've seen guys guard LeBron, and no matter what you do, he gets his. I've seen guys guard D-Wade. No matter what you do, he gets his. Jayson Tatum, he gets his. Jaylen Brown, he gets his. Those guys get theirs no matter what you do. Jimmy Butler's not that unstoppable guy like those guys."
No "Playoff Jimmy" vs. T-Wolves
After a disappointing 17-point performance in a Game 2 blowout loss, it looked like Butler turned on the "Playoff Jimmy" switch when he put up 33 points on 26 shots in Game 3. Although they lost, the possibility of Steph coming back later in the series gave Warriors fans hope that if they can win Game 4 at home, they might get Curry back in Game 6.
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But Jimmy scored a series-low 14 points on only nine field goal attempts in Golden State's most important game of the season. Considering Draymond Green, Buddy Hield and Brandin Podziemski all scored in double digits — Jonathan Kuminga finished the night with 23 points — a big performance by Butler would have likely pushed them to victory.
Does that mean "Playoff Jimmy" is not a real thing? Based on his track record in the postseasons before, probably not. But unfortunately for Dub Nation, they didn't get that version of Butler in their first playoff run together.
Related: Charles Barkley weighs in on Golden State's offseason decision regarding Jonathan Kuminga: "You can't go to war with three old guys against the West"
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