When Jimmy Butler injured the cartilage in his left knee on February 23, it created an obvious cause for concern within the Minnesota Timberwolves organization.After all, Butler has helped carry the team this season. Averaging 22.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists per contest, his presence alongside Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Jeff Teague and Taj Gibson has been largely beneficial.This season, the T-Wolves have gone 10-12 without the All-Star and 34-21 with him. That’s not a coincidence.At 44-33, the T-Wolves aren’t guaranteed a path to the playoffs yet. They could end up anywhere between the third and tenth seeds. Butler’s absence creates even more uncertainty.If he was to return, however, it would vastly improve their chances of earning a spot.Luckily, his recovery is coming along well. In fact, he just passed a major benchmark. Before shootaround on Friday, Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau told the media that Butler had been cleared for contact. Since he underwent surgery on February 25, that’s clearly a positive sign.Thibodeau explained that Butler looked good on the court after he was cleared.“He had a good workout, did the shootaround, and stayed and played afterward,” Thibodeau said, per Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune.Although Minnesota has a huge game against the Utah Jazz on Sunday, don’t expect Butler to rush back.“I want him to have confidence in his body that he can go again,” Thibodeau explained. “So, usually what happens is, you’re doing the on-court stuff. You start with non-contact. Then you phase in the contact and you build up. You start with 1-on-1, 2-on-2, 3-on-3 and then the 5-on-5. And, after each step, you have to see how it responds the next day. So far it’s been pretty good.”Throughout his rehab, Butler has remained with the team and has been up to his usual antics, even on the bench.

Tossing the stat sheet was even more entertaining than this remarkable reaction.

With just five games remaining in the regular season, it remains to be seen whether or not Butler will return. After taking on the Jazz on Sunday, they’ll travel to take on the Denver Nuggets on Thursday and Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. Then, they’ll host the Memphis Grizzlies and close out the year against the Nuggets, who they'll play for the second time in four games.

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