Julian Andrews

Web Editorial Associate

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As Jimmy Butler inches towards a return to the court, you can feel his competitiveness and desire to return growing day by day. But he’s taking things one step at a time.

“It’s good to be out there and compete, be around my guys, play a little bit of basketball, talk a little trash, get a lot of W’s, I like it,” Butler said on Tuesday.

Butler was a full participant in practice Tuesday. While he isn’t sure exactly when he’ll play in a game, his return to practice is certainly a positive development.

“You got to trust Jimmy,” said coach Tom Thibodeau, “Go step by step, do all the things that the medical people are asking him to do, but he’s the athlete, he knows, he’s been through this before in different situations. When he’s ready to go he’ll go.”

Butler has been far from idle during his rehab. He has kept a close eye on the team, and he hasn’t always liked what he’s seen.

“We gotta get tougher. We gotta play like some dogs, with a sense of urgency. 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 anybody want it,” he said. “Everybody’s playing in the fight of their life, we gotta realize that and as a whole go out there and be the tougher team every single night, every single possession.”

Playing hard and playing tough are especially important on defense. When he returns, Butler will bring a defensive edge that the Wolves have been sorely missing lately—an edge Butler gets from the pride he takes in his work on the defensive end.

“I love confrontation, I like hard fouls, so what? Just don’t hurt anybody. That’s what the game is now, a lot of friends, and I have a lot of friends in the league as well, but in between those lines it’s a different story. Especially right now this late in the season and what we’re fighting for. No layups. Zero,” he said.

“We gotta have that will to want to guard,” Butler continued. “We haven’t done it all year. We’ve had stretches where it looks solid, but then you go back to what you’ve been seeing. All in all, we just got to want to play defense.”

Every team in the postseason hunt is talented, sometimes games just come down to who wants it more. It’s a cliché, but it’s true, and Butler knows how much of an impact individual effort can impact outcomes.

“Good things happen when you play hard,” Butler said. “Sometimes I think we lose focus on how hard you have to play because we’re so talented, but now everybody’s talented. In these next couple games we have, everybody’s talented and everyone is gonna play hard, and we got to be the same way.”

While he may not be at full strength right away, and he will likely play under a minutes restriction, Butler believes he’ll be able to make an impact immediately upon returning. He’ll be able to score a bit, and he’ll certainly be playing hard on defense.

“Not saying I’m the only reason we’re going to make [the playoffs], but I think chances are a little higher if I’m out there.”