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The Miami Heat might have to continue moving forward without the services of their talisman Jimmy Butler. The Heat conclude their Western Conference road trip with a matchup against the OKC Thunder tonight.
Butler is in the early MVP race and many have even gone so far as to call him a favorite. But if he keeps missing games, that NBA MVP narrative will vanish at a moment's notice.
Jimmy Butler leads the Miami Heat in points and steals and is second-highest in blocks and assists. Butler is averaging 23.6 points, 5.1 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game. He is sixth-highest in the NBA in steals and is 14th in points per game.
Butler's presence is clearly crucial for the Miami Heat. They are 1-1 in the games he has missed this season. Although the Heat defeated the Utah Jazz in their last game, there are only a handful of games they can win without him.
Jimmy Butler is the team's swiss army knife, someone who does a little bit of everything and is willing to do whatever it takes to win. From playmaking and rebounding to lockdown defense and scoring buckets, Butler's continued absence could be catastrophic for the Miami Heat early in the 2021-22 NBA season.
What is Jimmy Butler's status for tonight's game against the OKC Thunder?
Jimmy Butler is officially listed as questionable for the game against the OKC Thunder tonight due to a right ankle sprain. There is no word if he is inclined to play or sit out the game.
He didn't lace up in the Miami Heat's previous two outings and we will have to wait and see if he will tonight. He is on the injury report alongside Bam Adebayo, Victor Oladipo and Markieff Morris.
Coach Erik Spoelstra also doesn't have much information regarding his star forward's condition. As reported by Will Manso of WPLG Local 10 News, coach Spoelstra spoke about Butler's sprain ahead of the game against the LA Clippers, saying:
"I don’t know. We’ll just have to wait and see tomorrow."
However, we now know that he didn't play in the subsequent two games after coach Spoelstra's statement. So it is safe to assume that the injury might be more severe than we initially thought.
When will Jimmy Butler return?
Jimmy Butler is questionable for this game so there is always a chance he will suit up tonight. However, tonight's game is the final matchup of the road trip and the rebuilding OKC Thunder don't pose much of a threat to the Heat.
Hence, it is possible that the coaching and medical staff may ask Butler to sit out of the game even if he is feeling better.
We predict he will lace up in the Miami Heat's next game against the New Orleans Pelicans at home, or the one after that against the Washington Wizards.
Guess the Lakers players!
