Miami Heat alpha Jimmy Butler’s Game 2 performance in their win over the Milwaukee Bucks reminds us he’s no ordinary superstar.
Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat are rocking and rolling on their way to an Eastern Conference Finals, if not Finals period, appearance. They swept the Indiana Pacers in the first round and took a 2-0 lead over the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals on Wednesday.
But it’s the series with Milwaukee specifically that has put an emphasis on Butler’s label as a superstar. From underdogs to the talk of the town, he’s pushed them into the limelight.
It’s only Butler’s first year in South Beach, and it’s become an even better fit than even he could have likely imagined. He finished the regular season averaging 19.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1.8 steals in 58 appearances out of their 73 games.
Miami finished as the Eastern Conference’s fifth seed, and only because they opted to rest starters at the end of the regular season, with “home court” becoming a non-factor in Orlando.
Now, Butler and the Heat are halfway done with what was considered a near-impossible task. Milwaukee is the best team in the league, and home to the reigning MVP and this year’s Defensive Player of the Year in 25-year old Giannis Antetokounmpo.
How? That question starts and ends with Miami’s number one gun and alpha dog.
Jimmy Butler has not been the glue that holds this team together, no the famous Heat Culture does that unassisted. He’s simply lead the charge in his natural state of NBA superstar. And in that, has proven that he’s capable of doing only what it takes to win.
Butler is the NBA’s most adaptable, fluid, and outright complementing superstar. He will find the way or ways to succeed no matter the time on the clock, which teammates are on the floor, or which jersey he’s donning. That in itself makes the Miami Heat a top-contender for the title.
Jimmy Butler isn’t here to stuff the stat sheet. Simply to win, and nothing more.
Name an NBA player, who won consecutive playoff games behind 40, and 13-point performances. And don’t say, Paul George, because he doesn’t do so on purpose.
That’s right, Butler went out and dropped a playoff career-high 40 points in Game 1.
It was truly a statement to Antetokounmpo and the rest of the Bucks’ personnel: being the best team in the NBA earns you nothing. Against the Heat in the playoffs, you’ll have to be the best team on the floor night in and night out for four out of seven games.
So, as all great teams do, Milwaukee adjusted. They schemed more for Butler’s suddenly knock down jumper, ignoring other guys who’ve struggled, like sharpshooter Duncan Robinson.
Unfortunately for them, it didn’t change the outcome in Game 2.
Butler scored just 13 points on 3-of-8 shooting from the floor, with the final two of those points being the game-winning free throws with time expired in the fourth quarter. He didn’t need to score on Wednesday night, instead, he served as the Heat’s middle man and defensive disruptor.
Butler finished with six assists and three steals in Game 2, and even behind 13 points, looked like the best damn player on the floor for all of his 36 minutes played. His ability to switch the focus of his game from one night to the next and still ensure a Miami win is beyond compare.
It is no coincidence that every team Jimmy Butler has walked away from, whether leaving it in flames like Minnesota, or with a promising future like Chicago, has been worse off.
Look at the Philadelphia 76ers, his most recent stop. They elected to sign Tobias Harris to an overpay and max out Al Horford last offseason, instead of putting on a full pursuit of Butler. They were swept in the first round of playoffs and fired seven-year head coach Brett Brown.
At first, I wanted to call him something of a chameleon. But he doesn’t change to fit into his surroundings, he has an effect on his surroundings that makes them fit him.
No, he is unmatched. He is transcendent. He is Jimmy G. Buckets, and he’s an NBA superstar.
Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat will look to make it a 3-0 lead in their Eastern Conference Semi-Finals series with the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 pm est, and coverage will be provided by TNT and TNT Overtime.