The Eastern Conference Finals will put two of the best wing players in the league up against each other. The Boston Celtics will have their 24-year-old sensation Jayson Tatum take on the Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler. Both the teams are well-coached with depth and versatility, meaning the battle could come down to the two forwards and who outplays who.
Both players have been here before, but there is a difference. Celtics and Miami faced each other in the 2020 ECF in the bubble where Miami came out victorious. Tatum has already had a few losses in the ECF and will look to avoid falling to 0-3 in those situations and make it to his first NBA Finals.
With the ages of both the stars, there is a very interesting dynamic. Tatum may have had many failures in the ECF behind him, but he has many more years left in the league. Butler isn’t in the same position, as he is in the latter half of his career and will look to capitalize on the opportunity right now. That is also what Stephen A. Smith feels.
.@StephenASmith says Jimmy Butler’s opportunities are dwindling when compared to Jayson Tatum’s.
“When I look at Jayson Tatum, you already been to like 3-4 conference finals. And you’re 24 years old. You’ve got time on your side. Time running out on Jimmy Butler.” pic.twitter.com/oRgKBFG4ON
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 16, 2022
Time is running out for Jimmy Butler and everyone knows that. Butler has done extremely well in becoming a championship-contending player since coming to Miami. But it’s time for him to go from being a contender to being a champion, and this season is probably his best opportunity to do so.
There is no juggernaut waiting for either of these teams on the Western Conference, so the opportunity is ripe as ever. Tatum has many years left to have the team grow more around him and build on the principles Ime Udoka has introduced as coach.
Butler doesn’t have that luxury. Miami knows how they play and have been perfecting that since Butler got to the team by adding the perfect complementary pieces. If the Heat fail this year, the chance to make another NBA Finals may not come around again in the Jimmy Butler era.
