Jimmy Butler fully participated in Tuesday’s practice, and told reporters that he is “this close” to suiting up again for the Timberwolves.
Butler has vowed to return from a torn meniscus prior to the start of the postseason.
The 28-year-old wants Minnesota, which has gone 8-8 since he hurt his right knee, to get tougher as they inch towards the playoffs.
.@JimmyButler was a full participant in practice on Tuesday, and is inching towards a return.
"I love confrontation. I like hard fouls, so what? Just don’t hurt anybody… No layups. Zero."
You can tell why the @Timberwolves have missed him.
Read: https://t.co/XR1WXNugs0 pic.twitter.com/88XB0651KQ
— Julian Andrews (@julian_andrews_) April 3, 2018
Per the AP:
“You’ve got to risk it for the biscuit, and I’m ready to do that,” Butler said. “I want to be in the playoffs. I want to continue to play. I’m not saying I’m the only reason we’re going to make it. But I think the chances are a little bit higher if I’m out there.”
Far more problematic than the (playoff seeding) probabilities and scenarios for Minnesota is the lack of fire on display down the stretch, particularly on defense. The Wolves lost 121-97 at home to Utah on Sunday to let the Jazz move ahead of them into sixth place.
“We’ve just got to get tougher. We’ve got to play like some dogs. Teams just do whatever they want against us. I don’t like it. But there ain’t no coach in the world that can make somebody play hard. Ain’t no coach in the world that can make somebody want it,” Butler said.
