If Jimmy Butler wants to receive his last big contract, he needs to make himself present in the Miami Heat's offense.
The Heat had one of the lowest offensive ratings for a playoff team (113) and that is partly due to Butler's passiveness in the regular season. Come playoff time it's a different story, but the league is blossoming with so much talent that at this point Butler is doing a disservice to the team by taking regular-season nights off. There are no more easy games or scheduled wins.
Butler's base stats noticeably declined last season. He averaged his lowest points per game (20) and assists per game (5) since joining the Heat in 2019. Additionally, it's his second-lowest season for field goals attempted since his rookie year (13.2). This decline might be more acceptable if he were getting to the free-throw line more often, but his free-throw attempts also hit a low (7.7).
Regular box score stats don't tell the full story for Butler though as he usually stands out in the advanced stats. This is why he's been a consistent All-NBA caliber player. But last season was different.
Butler's usage rate (24.0) was the lowest it's ever been since he's been in a Heat uniform. His assist percentage has dropped significantly to 23.1%, a five percent decrease from his previous low of 28.1% in his first season with the Heat. Additionally, his box plus/minus (4.6) was also the lowest since his first season with the team.
Here are two specific areas where Butler needs to improve next season so that he can return to All-NBA status -- and get paid like it.