The Miami Heat haven’t been very great this season, but Jimmy Butler’s heroics may be the only thing keeping them alive. With averages of 22.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game on 53.9% shooting, Butler has been having a career year for the Heat with consistently brilliant clutch performances.
Yet, Butler’s name was mysteriously absent from the All-Star roster this year, and it went largely unnoticed by much of the NBA community. But according to one former executive, Butler’s exclusion is nothing short of embarrassing for the NBA…
“I would posit that Butler is the most underrated player in the league, and it’s an embarrassment that he wasn’t named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team,” wrote John Hollinger. “Butler has carried a Miami team that basically had only two other guys performing above replacement level to a 42-37 mark through Wednesday, with a career year at the offensive end at age 32… As ever, Butler combines that with top-notch wing defense.”
Butler has been nothing short of amazing for Miai this season, with a two-sided game and leadership display that deserves serious recognition. Of course, Butler himself says he’s just fine with flying under the radar.
“Me no All-Star? Please. I’ll see you all when I see you all,” Butler said in February. “But Bam does deserve that. He’s been carrying the load a lot this year. I’m happy for him. As for me? I’m happy I get a vacation.”
Can The Heat Make A Run This Season?
The Heat have struggled to hit shots this season and have had to depend on their late-game defense to carry them to wins all season long. So while the Heat do not pose the same threat as the 76ers or Cavaliers in the East, they are still capable of pulling off a major upset.
“I don’t give a damn,” Butler told Yahoo Sports. “I just love playing basketball. We can beat anybody when we’re playing the right way. Play-in, here we come. Playoffs, here we come.”
The path to the Finals will not be easy for Miami. They will have to win the play-in tournament before securing their spot and would have to beat either the Bucks or the Celtics in the first round.
But with Butler, Bam Adebayo, and head coaching mastermind Erik Spoelstra, the Heat have a chance against anybody and cannot be counted out.
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