Miami Heat: Why Jimmy Butler Should Closely Study Michael Jordan’s Career

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) dribbles the basketball against the Milwaukee Bucks during the first period of game four in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs(Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports)
Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) dribbles the basketball against the Milwaukee Bucks during the first period of game four in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs(Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports) /
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Doug Christie of the Toronto Raptors tries to pass the ball away from Michael Jordan of Chicago Bulls (R)(TOMMY CHENG/AFP via Getty Images) /

Miami Heat: Jimmy Butler Could Take A Few Off-Ball Cues From MJ

This year, Kyle Lowry will be joining the Miami Heat, giving them a third star that can help Butler operate the offense.

Playing Off The Ball

This means that Jimmy Butler can play more off the ball. With Lowry’s floor spacing and playmaking ability, Butler should be able to get more looks while cutting to the basket.

Aside from his shot creating ability, what made Michael Jordan such a great scorer was his off-ball movement. His quick feet allowed him to change directions with ease, which typically resulted in an open midrange jump shot or an inside shot.

Earlier in his career, he wasn’t in the right system to move off the ball, so his usage rate was sometimes very high and peaking at 38.6 percent in the 1985-86 season.

Related Story. 3 Deficiencies That Kyle Lowry Immediately Helps Address. light

However, once Phil Jackson became the coach of the Bulls and the Triangle Offense was introduced, Jordan was much more efficient off the ball.

Here is some of the Bulls offense in action.

One of the best off-ball scorers in the modern NBA is Steph Curry. What makes him so great at it is that he continues to sprint through the whole play and effectively uses screens.

The difference between Curry and Butler is that Curry is the greatest three point shooter of all time. He plays off the ball to get more threes.

Butler is not nearly as efficient from three. He needs to cut to the basket to be effective off the ball.

For that reason, Butler should study Jordan’s off the ball movement. This doesn’t mean the Miami Heat should implement a Triangle Offense, however, they should start allowing Butler to come off of some more back screens and down screens from Bam Adebayo.

During Jordan’s era, the three pointer wasn’t as vital to the game as it is today. Therefore, Jordan didn’t take too many threes.

Instead, he made good cuts and developed some of the most skillful footwork we have ever seen. If Jimmy Butler is unable to become a consistent three point shooter, he needs to learn how to cut more effectively and more frequently.