As the Miami Heat get set to take on the Brooklyn Nets in their second preseason game of the year, after dropping their first one to the Minnesota Timberwolves, they’ll continue to look to ramp up and fine-tune things as they head into what is, hopefully, another successful campaign.
Though they didn’t make it to the NBA Finals last season, falling just short in a Conference Finals Game 7 matchup to the Boston Celtics, it was by no fault of Jimmy Butler.
Doing all he could, for much of the playoffs in fact, to help his Miami Heat team get a win in the series, he just didn’t have enough support from the rest of his teammates. This isn’t that though, as in, this isn’t to rehash what could have been last season.
When thinking about that postseason run from Jimmy Butler though, as well as his first with the Miami Heat in the Bubble, it was some of the highest level basketball played by a singular player in the NBA.
And according to Jimmy Butler, these performances have not been by coincidence.
Miami Heat: Why This Is The Prime Of Jimmy Butler’s Career
In a recent chat with Shandel Richardson of Sports Illustrated, Butler would hint at what he believes is the reasoning behind all he has done with Miami so far. To be specific, Jimmy Butler believes that he is in the prime of his career.
"“I think so,” Butler said. “I’m comfortable. I’ve got a good group around that allows me to just hoop and not worry about nothing on any given day. I’ve got shooters. We’ve got defenders around me and also some good players. Prime or not, I think that I am.”"
And in fact, Butler is right.
Listen, being in the prime of your career and being in your prime as an athlete are different. However, they can occur at the same time.
Being in the prime as an athlete means that your body is at its peak ability while being in the prime of your career has everything to do with how you use said physical or athletic ability, in cooperation with skills and knowledge of the game, to actually win or impact winning meaningful ball games.
And to be clear, though they aren’t exactly simultaneous here, Jimmy isn’t that far removed, if at all, from being at his physical prime as an athlete. Again though, that is debatable.
Miami Heat: Jimmy Butler’s At The Peak Of His Overall Power Right Now
What isn’t debatable is that when it comes to how Jimmy Butler operates, manipulates, and controls basketball games for the Miami Heat with his overall skill set and ability to get the free throw line at will—he is as good as he has ever been and among the best in the entire league.
In combination with an organization that is wired just like he is, playing for a coach that shares similar wiring, alongside a team built on hustle, grit, defense, outworking your opponent, and maintaining space on offense, something key to Jimmy Butler’s game and success with said game because he does so much damage with his inside the perimeter offense, he is, in fact, in the prime of his career.
He is at that place in his career where his surroundings, individual ability, knowledge, and know-how of the game are at the highest simultaneous levels that they’ll ever be at.
What that means is that though one part of the equation may rise or fall or may have been higher or lower at some time or another, none of them have ever been as high, at the very same time, as they are right now or have been since he joined the Miami Heat.
And that’s why Jimmy is exactly right about himself. He is, totally, in the prime of his career and if you want to get spicier, he can probably do it for, at least, three more years including this one.
Minimally.