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Every NBA player experiences highs and lows throughout the season, and Jimmy Butler seems to be experiencing the latter right now.
He has only played five games since missing the previous three with an ankle injury and has not played well during his time back on the court. He has averaged 13.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and eight assists, shooting 36% from the field and 17% from three.
After his recent difficult playing stretch and untimely misses, one would imagine that more and more Heat would begin to take exception to his poor performances. This prompted Miami Heat beat reporter Anthony Chiang to come out in defense of his team’s star player. Chiang took to Twitter to remind people that Butler took the Heat to the NBA finals not that long ago.
“Re: Today’s Jimmy Butler conversation on Twitter... Did we forget that Jimmy Butler led the Heat to the Finals and then was an all-time great in that championship series just 15 months ago?”
One of Butler's plays that stood out during his recent run came against the Atlanta Hawks, in a tight game deep in the fourth quarter. Butler missed a layup he caught on an alley that would have put the Heat up by one. Then, on the next Heat possession with less than five seconds left on the clock took a game-winning three that he missed as Miami lost 110-108.
However, in light of Butler's recent outings, it would be wise for Heat fans to keep Chiang's words at the front of their minds because he ultimately isn’t wrong. In fact, outside of his recent struggles, Butler has been one of the better players on the Heat. He averages a solid 21.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.9 assists through 28 games this season, shooting 48% from the field and 24% from three.
Jimmy Butler and the Heat
Even with Butler's recent struggles, the Heat are still on their way to looking like one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference this season. They have a 29-17 record, tied with the most wins in the conference, putting them in third in the playoff standings, just half a game behind the first-placed Brooklyn Nets.
After being swept in humiliating fashion by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs, the Heat went into the offseason knowing they needed to get better. They acquired Kyle Lowry, who has been a perfect fit for the team and is running the team's offense while also providing veteran leadership.
Tyler Hero has also made a massive leap in his third season and, so far, has been the front runner to win the Sixth Man of the Year award, averaging 20.7 points off the bench.
On top of that, the team has been dealing with injuries to key players such as Butler and Bam Adebayo, who have both played in under 30 games this season. The Heat have relied on the "next-man-up" mentality, with 12 players having appeared in over 20 games and 13 players who average over 15 minutes a game.
Since Jimmy Butler joined the Heat, he has elevated the team to a possible NBA Finals contender. This season is no different as the team continues to maintain a solid footing in the East.
Guess the Lakers players!
