Miami Heat: Predicting Jimmy Butler’s stats for next season

Ever since he joined the team, Jimmy Butler stepped up as a true leader. He led the Miami Heat to the Finals and completely changed the culture of the t

His work ethic is respected all throughout the league, and Heat fans fell in love with him during his time with the team. That being said, his contributions don’t always show up in the box score.

When he needs to, Butler can score the ball at will and do it all on the court. However, if another player is hot on any given night, he is more than willing to take a back seat in order to win.

It’s this “do whatever it takes to win” mentality that often fails to translate to the stats sheet. Due to that, Butler’s stats could potentially get worse as he gets older.

Butler averaged 21.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game while shooting 49.7% from the field and 24.5% from deep. He put up more points in his second season in Miami than his first, but that number might dip back down next year.

With Bam Adebayo improving and Tyler Herro developing as a player, they could be primed to step up in the scoring column. In addition, there are multiple rumors that the Miami Heat will be very active in the trade market and free agency.

If the Heat add a player such as Kyle Lowry or Tim Hardaway Jr. in free agency, they would contribute a ton of scoring in Miami’s offense. This would allow Butler to take a step back in that department.

Butler’s best traits have always been his defense and playmaking as a forward. Adding more scoring around him would allow him to focus on these skills.

Even if the Miami Heat decide to run it back with a similar roster, their internal pieces are ready to improve their scoring. In addition to Adebayo and Herro, both Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn would also help with scoring.

All that being said, as Miami’s young talent matures, Butler won’t be relied on as much to score the ball. However, as his scoring numbers decline, his rebounding and assist numbers could take a jump.

He also averaged a league-high 2.1 steals per game last season. Though that number could be tough to top, his defensive numbers have stayed around that level for years.

Butler doesn’t have to put up amazing scoring numbers in order to have his impact shine through. His impact is felt through his playmaking and defense.

Final prediction: 19.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.4 blocks

The numbers see Butler’s scoring take a slight dip, as well as his steals. However, he improves both his rebounding and assist numbers.

Hopefully, the addition of more talent will allow Butler to take a smaller role in terms of scoring. We’ll just have to see how the Miami Heat construct their roster this offseason.