“I’m not ready to talk about basketball yet; I’m still in my feelings, so I don’t really get into it" - Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler refuses to address basketball-related questions following ECF exit

Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat put it all out on the floor in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics. The series was decided in Game 7, with the Celtics winning 100-96 in Miami.

Butler scored a game-high 35 points in the deciding game, after scoring 47 in the previous game to force Game 7. After a respectable regular season, Butler turned it up a notch in the playoffs, averaging 26.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.1 steals.

Butler went to the extent of playing with knee inflammation, which is why it is understandable that he wants to avoid basketball-related conversations right now. In a recent interview with Front Office Sports, Butler said:

“Man, honestly, I’m not ready to talk about basketball yet. I’m still in my feelings, so I don’t really get into it. I can’t. You’re opening up a door of emotions. I just want to talk about coffee and ice cream, my brother.”

The Miami Heat entered the playoffs with a reputation for being a strong defensive team, which was true for the most part, but offense is needed as well. That’s an area where Jimmy Butler was the aggressor for the Miami Heat, scoring 40 or more points on four occasions.

Butler’s efforts weren’t enough to get the Miami Heat past the Boston Celtics, but they went down with a fight. The Celtics then went on to lose in the finals against the Golden State Warriors; Steph Curry took care of business within six games.

What adjustments do the Miami Heat need to make for next season?

Jimmy Bulter has now completed three seasons in Miami, playing alongside Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. The recent additions of Kyle Lowry and P.J. Tucker bettered the Miami Heat roster, but Lowry’s experience was seen only in spurts, due to his injury.

Kyle Lowry missed eight games in the playoffs and contributed just 9.4 points per game in the last five games of the Celtics series. Bam Adebayo had a couple of strong games against the Celtics, but more often than not, he was waiting for the offense to come to him. This resulted in an increase in offensive expectations from Butler.

Tyler Herro, who had a record regular season, winning the Sixth Man of the Year award, was a disappointment in the playoffs. He averaged just 12.6 points and 3.9 rebounds in 15 appearances after averaging 20.7 points during the regular season.

Although the Miami Heat unit remains defensively strong as it is, offensive strength needs to be built. Either the team needs to find an available free agent who can score with ease, or players like Bam Adebayo, Victor Oladipo and Tyler Herro need to improve.