Stephen A. Smith has been famous for making bold takes whenever and wherever, and during the 2023 NBA Finals, he’s been on one. The ESPN analyst isn’t shy when expressing his opinions, and earlier today, he made a bold claim about Jimmy Butler.
For the controversial analyst, Butler can’t be the best player on a championship team.
“You think about superstars and what we usually get from those superstars in terms of offensive production, that’s not Jimmy,” Smith said on ESPN’s First Take.
.@stephenasmith doesn't think Jimmy Butler can be the best player on a championship team 👀
"You think about superstars and what we usually get from those superstars in terms of offensive production, that's not Jimmy." pic.twitter.com/x2ejL8VjMV
— First Take (@FirstTake) June 9, 2023
Smith explains that Butler is a star in his own right, but he’s not at the same level as others that have taken their teams to win the championship. He says that Jimmy’s ability to get foul calls depends not only on him but the referees and the way they officiate the game.
Stephen A. says that the Heat relying mostly on that to win games is not the best option. He explains that Butler is indeed a star and could lead the Heat to the title. Jimmy Buckets faced the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, lost to the Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown-led Boston Celtics last season, and this year, he’s facing two monsters in Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic.
Smith finishes his idea by saying that Butler isn’t a top-1 tier player in the league, and he would work better as a second option on a team with championship aspirations.
Jimmy Butler Has Led The Miami Heat Twice To The NBA Finals
Contrary to LeBron in 2020, Tatum in 2022, and Jokic this year, Butler hasn’t had a second star to help them win. And yes, Bam Adebayo was on the team all these years, but he wasn’t able to provide in the playoffs consistently.
The big man has taken his game to the next level this season, but it’s still not enough to get past the inspired Denver Nuggets, who swept the floor with the Heat in Game 3 of the 2023 NBA Finals.
Butler did a terrific job in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, taking out Giannis Antetokounmpo in the First Round, Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle in the Second Round, and then taking revenge on Jayston Tatum and Jaylen Brown in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The challenge has gotten a lot bigger for him now, but Butler and the Heat have faced adversity more than once and came out victorious. He remains confident in his team. If they pull this off, it would be a big win for Miami and a big achievement in Butler’s career.
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