3 reasons why not getting Jimmy Butler actually benefits the Rockets

3. Butler is not a great 3-point shooter

The biggest reason Butler doesn’t fit with Houston’s offense is the most obvious. Plainly, he just isn’t a great 3-point shooter.

With his size and strength, Butler excels at driving down the lane and finishing strong through contact. He excels in the mid-range game and is accurate inside of 18 feet. He’s also strong at creating off the dribble and is a solid passer for a small forward.

However, Butler just doesn’t excel from down town. His 3-point shot is serviceable, but he averaged just one make on three attempts from downtown last season, as he clearly prefers to score closer to the bucket.

The Rockets easily led the league with 16.1 made 3s and 45.4 attempted 3s per game last season. They shoot more 3s than any other team in NBA history, and Mike D’Antoni probably wants the team to get closer to 50 attempts per game next season.

If a players wants to excel with Houston, they can’t be shy about getting up 3s when they have the airspace. It would be hard for Butler, a star scorer, to make such a dramatic shift in his game this late in his career. He just simply wouldn’t be a good fit, and unlike Chris Paul, he doesn’t shoot a high enough percentage from the mid-range to make it an efficient shot for the analytic driven Rockets.

Next: No. 2