Jimmy Butler cemented his status as a superstar by bringing the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals during the NBA bubble. The Miami Heat beat good contenders like the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics on their way to the Finals but lost in heartbreaking fashion to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
The Miami Heat gave the Los Angeles Lakers some good competition, but it wasn’t enough to beat LeBron James. The Miami Heat had some missing players themselves, including Goran Dragic. Dragic was an important part of Miami’s scoring. Jimmy Butler had something to say about the Miami Heat Finals run in an interview with Zito Madu of GQ.
He added: “We still think that we should have won—and we were down a couple of guys.”
In particular, his performance in Game 5 of the Finals was a transformative moment for him. Not only did he declare that the Heat would beat the Lakers, but he went out and recorded a 35-point triple-double while matched up against LeBron.
Jimmy Butler is right. Miami’s offense in the Finals lacked the punch it had with Goran Dragic, and despite a heroic performance by Butler during Game 5, the Heat lost the series. This year, they will hope to regroup, and make the Finals again.
If the Miami Heat makes the NBA Finals again, then they will hope to be fully healthy, so that they can prove to the world that they’re a championship team. A Jimmy Butler and LeBron James rematch would be legendary: but there are new contenders in the Eastern Conference, and the Heat will have to work for their spot. But Jimmy Butler and the Heat aren’t afraid of anyone, and they could surprise many analysts with how well they do during the season.
