I know it's unfair to extrapolate from one lousy game, but I am happy we did not trade for Butler and hope that remains the case this off season. Just not a fan of his game. I credit him for being a hard working over achiever, but struggles to create his own shot, average athleticism for an NBA player, and kind of boring.
(Sidenote: how is Butler "average athleticism"?)
He's not particularly quick in the open court compared to gifted athletes like Jaylen for example. Still a good athlete but not extraordinary. Very few of his baskets come off the back of athleticism.
He may not be extraordinary, but just calling him good sells him way short. He's a top tier athlete.
There are just so many freaks in the NBA these days with special athletic attributes that Butler just doesn't shine through to me as a top tier guy from that standpoint. He doesn't have the legspeed to belong on that tier with the other superstars at his size/position.
But like the great small forwards, he has gorilla like strength.
He's an above average athlete with elite NBA strength- like there is NBA strong, and then there is Lebron, Marcus Smart, Zac Randolph level strength at their positions.
At small forward it makes him elite because other guys his size may be as strong or as fast, but very rarely are they both.
What's even rarer is the fact that's both strong and fast, but can also handle the ball, shoot and has the ability to break players down off the dribble not just on straight line drives, but with a quick first step.
His gorilla strength gives him the ability to absorb contact and keep his balance where other players just don't have the strength to be able to get their shot off with a high % at going in.
Someone else who has really benefited from the weight room is Gordon Hayward.
IT is similar. He would be one of the strongest players in the NBA relative to position/size.
Absorb contact, keep going, get shot off.