Butler was the only NBA All-Star who didn’t play in this year’s game.
Butler didn’t play at his request.
“He was tired and just felt like his legs weren’t there,” Mike D’Antoni said. “You have to respect that. He plays hard. Sometimes your body just needs a rest.”
“Just rest, man. I got to rest my body,” Butler said. The reason was to better prepare himself for a Wolves’ playoff run.
Courtesy: Star Tribune
Entering the second half of the season, Butler leads the league in minutes played at 37.3 per game.
It’s unlikely that Butler’s minutes will go down, either. He’s the Wolves’ leading scorer at 22.4 points per game and the team currently holds the 4th spot in the NBA Western Conference at 36-25.
Minnesota will make a playoff push for the first time since 2003-04. With that at stake, Butler’s role and play will be more important than ever.
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Updated data as of Feb. 20. Sources: NBA.com, MSN.com, Basketball-Reference.com
