Jimmy Butler says he looks good and feels good but he’s not happy with the lack of effort the Timberwolves have shown too many times this season.
“We just gotta get tougher. We gotta play like some dogs with a sense of urgency,” Butler said Tuesday. “Teams just do whatever they want against us. I don’t like it. Ain’t no coach in the world that can make somebody play hard. Ain’t no coach in the world that can make anybody want it.”
It’s a blunt attack on his teammates, but probably deserved considering the Wolves’ lifeless performance in a blowout loss at home to Ricky Rubio and the Utah Jazz on Sunday.
“Everybody is playing for the fight of their life, we gotta realize that,” he continued. “As a whole, we gotta go out there and be the tougher team every single night, every single possession.”
So who’s to blame for the lack of effort? According to Butler, it’s not head coach Tom Thibodeau.
“We gotta have that will to want to guard. We haven’t done that all year,” he said. “We’ve had stretches where it’s looked solid, and then we go back to what you’ve been seeing. All in all, we just gotta want to play defense. Thibs, he don’t got too much to do with that.”
Related:
Butler has been out since injuring his meniscus against Houston on Feb. 23, but there’s a chance he’s back on the court for Thursday’s game in Denver.
You can listen to Butler’s full media session via Timberwolves Radio right here.
