While there are many talented players on the Miami Heat roster, it could be argued that Jimmy Butler is currently the team's best player.
Follow Us
Kevin Love has been impressed by his teammate Jimmy Butler’s performance in the playoffs. On Sunday, Butler scored 35 points against the championship favorites, the Milwaukee Bucks. Despite Tyler Herro’s right-hand fracture, his play gave the Miami Heat a 1-0 series lead. Love, who has battled with the Heat since joining them, came off the bench and scored 18 points. Instead of focusing on his own performance, he commended Butler and what he was able to accomplish late in the game.
“He’s arguably the best closer in the game,” Love said. “It’s unbelievable what he’s able to do out there. He’s our leader. He sets the tone for us. I’m taking him pretty much over anybody in the league when it comes down to closing out a game.”
Taking Butler in late-game circumstances would not be a difficult decision. Throughout the season, he has proven to be dependable when the Heat requires game-winning shots. Butler provided some of the Heat’s finest critical moments this season. He made a buzzer-beating alley-oop dunk to give the Heat a 97-95 victory over the Houston Rockets on Feb. 10. He scored 15 points in the final six minutes of the fourth quarter against the Orlando Magic on March 11. He also made a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to force overtime, which the Heat lost.
READ MORE: Who is voted as the NBCA coach of the year?
This season has seen a number of clutch performances. When the year came to a close, NBA.com writer Shaun Powell named his picks for the Jerry West Clutch Player of the Year Award. He ranked Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat third, after De’Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings and DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls. Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks and Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers are ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, behind Butler.
“What is crazy is Butler is having perhaps the finest season of his career and yet Miami, for some reason, continues to chug along,” Powell write. “He remains strong in every aspect of the clutch by getting points, rebounds and assists to put his team in a position to win. At least the Heat, with Butler bringing the goods in tight games, are bringing an advantage as the season and the chase for playoff spots start to get interesting.”
Butler averages three points on 49 percent shooting in key situations. He barely shoots 22 percent from beyond the arc. He finished the season ranked 15th in clutch points with three and was named a finalist for the 2022-23 NBA Clutch Player of the Year, which De’Aaron Fox eventually won.
Get the latest from Sportslumo.com by following us on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube
