Jimmy Butler is taking the Miami Heat from gritty to enjoyable

Miami Heat are not just fun because of Jimmy Butler. Check out some of the keys to their success in the early stages of the season.

The steady narrative around Miami Heat basketball has always been, they play hard because of the culture. This year it changed though. Pundits from ESPN to TNT have all clamored about actually having fun watching the team.

Miami has been gritty and hardworking for years, but fun has not been part of their DNA since the days of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James.

What makes this season so different?

For the national public, that would simply be the Jimmy Butler factor.

The same guy who was championed by Rachel Nichols–and profiled before the Los Angeles Lakers loss–and not so coincidentally criticized on the same show all summer long for being someone who has “only ever wanted to be the guy” with “the trappings of being the star.”

Contrary to beat writer, Nick Friedell’s thoughts, Butler’s 2019-20 season has been all about spreading the spotlight.

Off the court, he has been sure to heap praise on the Heat as well as single out individuals. On the court, Butler has empowered his teammates with confidence.

He has been the type of closer this young Heat team needed without having the luxury of flashback moments from Wade. A win-at-all-cost baller to push them over the hump in the costly, close games that have doomed their previous seasons.

However, instead of spending time forcing shots, Butler’s first quarter season has been spent making the right plays. And that is where the newfound fun lies.

While the Heat do not have a single player in the top 10 in assists, they have been the epitome of everybody eats. A look at league stats show Miami sitting at no. 8 in the same category with a team average of 25.2 assists a game.

Ask ESPN’s Zach Lowe and he says, “they cut and screened and led the league in handoff plays — including fake handoffs that functioned almost like quarterback keepers.”

This has not only led to open runs at the rim, but more importantly opened up space for the Heat’s top 3, three-point shooting percentage (37.8).

Credit Butler’s willingness to share the spotlight—6.8 assists per game–with affording the young guys a chance to show their skill. How else would you have a game where three players score 30-points and two have triple-doubles or another where Tyler Herro scores 16 of the team’s final 18?

Add steals to the equation and Miami’s no. 7 ranking coupled with Butler’s no. 1 league standing and everything has taken a jump to places the Heat could barely crack the top 15 or 25 in last season.

Unfortunately for the Heat and their fans, 16.1 turnovers a game are also contributing to potential blowouts becoming nights more fun than some hearts can handle. But sometimes you just have to take the good with the bad and enjoy.