Jimmy Butler: Why THIS is the only thing I want to do for Timberwolves against Spurs
JIMMY BUTLER insists he only has one thing on his mind when the Minnesota Timberwolves take on the San Antonio Spurs.
"No nerves. I just want to hoop."
— NBA TV (@NBATV) October 17, 2018
Jimmy Butler speaks ahead of the Timberwolves' game against the Spurs.#10BeforeTip pic.twitter.com/aZVcQNicds
Timberwolves travel to San Antonio for their opening match of the new NBA season, with tip-off at 1.30am UK time.
Butler - who requested a trade over the summer - is hoping to get his campaign off to a flyer despite the off-court turmoil surrounding the Timberwolves.
The four-time All-Star played almost 37 minutes per game last year, tying him for the second-highest number of minutes in the league.
But Butler maintains all he cares about is getting off his shots and producing his best form.
When asked how he was feeling ahead of the Spurs clash, Butler said: “There’s no nerves. I just want to hoop.
“I want to go to war and help us win to the best of my ability.”
Butler isn’t concerned about how pre-season preparations could affect his side.
He added: “I think we'll bring [the intensity].
There’s no nerves. I just want to hoop
“If not, you'll see me yelling at people.
“That's what I'm supposed to do.
“And you'll see me talking with guys nicely. That's what I'm supposed to do.
“Don't matter how we feel. We gotta get it done, because it's here.
“We can't worry about all that stuff. We're playing well in practice.
“The hope is that the product transfers over into the game. If we can do that, we'll be just fine."
Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors got their title defence off to a good start with a 108-100 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.