The 10 Greatest Heat players in history, ranked by Player Efficiency Rating (PER)
By Wes Goldberg
2. Jimmy Butler - 24.8
It’s a little surprising to see Jimmy Butler’s name this high, considering that he does not approach the regular season in the same way that he approaches the playoffs.
But Butler’s magic stems not from the sheer scoring numbers he may produce, but from what he doesn’t do – namely, turn the ball over. Butler’s turnover rate is remarkably low for a star player, committing a turnover on only 9.9% of his possessions. For comparison, Dwyane Wade (who was far from turnover-prone) had a career turnover rate of 13.8% in his time with the Heat.
If there is a box-score stat that helps Butler’s PER formula, it’s steals. Butler’s 1.8 steals per game ranks first in Heat history. His 21.4 points on 49.6% shooting, 6.1 rebounds and 5.7 assists aren’t too shabby, either.
Butler is also the franchise leader in triple-doubles with 12. Just because Butler doesn’t turn into “Playoff Jimmy” until the postseason doesn’t mean he doesn’t have his fair share of impressive box scores that lift him to second on this list.