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Former NBA player Jay Williams has lavished high praise on Jimmy Butler, who delivered yet another scintillating postseason performances for the Miami Heat. Williams pulled out a unique statline to draw parallels between Butler and "His Airness" Michael Jordan.
Butler has been an elite performer in the postseason. He carried the Heat to the NBA Finals in 2020 and is leading their charge in their pursuit of the championship. Comparing his ability to lead a team in the playoffs to Michael Jordan's, J-Will said on ESPN's 'KJM show':
"So Jimmy Butler's name belongs in the same breath with Michael Jordan, crazy right as the only players in a single postseason averaging 28 PPG, 5 assists, 2 steals on 50 plus percent shooting from the field. I just want you to think about that for a second Key."
He continued:
"We just said Jimmy Butler's name in the same breath with MJ for what this dude is doing in the postseason."
Jimmy Butler has scored over 30 points in six games of the ongoing playoffs and has been sensational for the Heat at both ends of the floor. Thanks to his brilliance, the South Beach team will be confident of making another trip to the NBA Finals.
Apart from Williams, Butler also received praise from Keyshawn Johnson. He said that Butler is being placed in the same breath as Jordan for doing what the six-time champion did, bring his best in the postseason.
There is no doubt the Heat have other players like Bam Adebayo, Max Strus and Tyler Herro also performing well. However, to advance to the NBA Finals, they'll need Butler to continue being on top of their game.
Can Jimmy Butler help Miami Heat win their fourth NBA championship?
The Miami Heat are well placed to win the championship this season. They have stars like Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo and the likes of Kyle Lowry and PJ Tucker to complement them.
After ending the regular season atop the East, the Heat beat the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers in the postseason. They now need to get the better of the Boston Celtics, who have beaten the Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Heat have a 1-0 lead and also hold home advantage for the next game. They have been stunning so far and will fancy their chances of beating the Celtics in the ECF for the second time in three seasons.
Butler's heroics were not enough to lead the Heat to the championship in 2020, but both Butler and Heat have grown massively since.
The 32 year old now has support from other veterans, which he seemed to lack last time around. If Butler continues playing high octane basketball and the Heat get special performances from their role players, they could win their first NBA championship since 2013.
Guess the Lakers players!
