Could Jimmy Butler’s practice tirade actually help the Minnesota Timberwolves?
Amid reports of an angry practice during which Butler lashed out at several teammates and executives, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday that Butler’s actions “energized” the team, particularly the fact that he played with the third string and defeated the regular players.
A lot of Minnesota players left Timberwolves practice today energized by Butler's performance, mesmerized with him taking end-of-the-bench players and running the table on the regulars, sources said. At the end, he marched out like if a mic drop. Butler delivered a tour de force.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 10, 2018
It’s easy to see how the reserves could be motivated by something like this, but it’s not clear if that feeling also translated to the likes of Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, who were reportedly the marquee names victimized by Butler during the practice. It’s tough to see them being comfortable with and motivated by what happened, especially now that it’s leaked publicly. Perhaps some players were energized by it, but it’s hard to see headlines like this as a positive for Minnesota through any lens.
