In his first season with the team, Jimmy Butler has changed the DNA of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Since being acquired from the Chicago Bulls last summer, the All-Star swingman has given Tom Thibodeau's team a hard-working swagger that has brought them to the precipice of the organization's first playoff berth in 13 seasons. However, as the Timberwolves continue their most daunting stretch of the season -- tonight will be the second of eight consecutive games against teams above .500 -- they're being forced to readjust to life without Butler, who went down with a meniscus injury in the first game following the All-Star break and is expected to miss four to six weeks following surgery.