Miami Heat: As promised, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are All-Stars
By Duncan Smith
The Miami Heat are off to a fantastic start, and two of the biggest reasons for it have been honored. Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler are All-Stars.
This time last year Jimmy Butler was a Philadelphia 76er. Bam Adebayo was a reserve center for the Miami Heat, coming off the bench for Hassan Whiteside. The Heat were playing out the string on Dwyane Wade‘s farewell tour and had faint hopes for the playoffs.
Fast forward to the end of January, 2020. Jimmy Butler now plays for the Miami Heat after a sign-and-trade brought him from Philadelphia to South Beach. Bam Adebayo not only forced Whiteside out of the starting lineup, but all the way to the Portland Trail Blazers after making him utterly expendable.
And now, both Butler and Adebayo are All-Star reserves for the Miami Heat.
It’s not surprising to see Butler in the All-Star Game. He has a serious case to start the game, and he’d be a clear starter in the backcourt if he was categorized as a guard (which would have been reasonable considering the share of minutes he’s played that could count as such). This will be his fifth All-Star Game appearance.
It also shouldn’t come as a surprise to see Adebayo make the cut. He’s been phenomenal this season, taking serious leaps forward both in defense and playmaking. Considering he was just a reserve on a middling Miami Heat team a year ago, and this is only his third season, his stratospheric rise has been a delight to watch.
The last time the Heat had multiple representatives in the All-Star Game was 2014, when the trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh made the cut.
Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo may not be the only Heat players at the All-Star festivities in Chicago next month. Rookies Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro, along with Duncan Robinson, will be eligible to represent Miami in the Rising Stars event for rookies and sophomores.
Next. Midseason player grades for each Miami Heat player. dark
A possible five Miami Heat players in action on All-Star weekend would have been unfathomable a year ago, let alone at the beginning of this season.