Entering the new season, the Miami Heat look refreshed and refocused to bounce back. The 2023-24 campaign featured unfortunate timing and injuries all year long, a lot with key players to the team including the likes of Jimmy Butler. The superstar suffered a season-ending MCL sprain in the first play-in game against the rival Philadelphia 76ers.
He is now fully recovered and ready to tackle the new year with a fresh mindset, including addressing his regular season availability. Butler has told the Miami Herald, and the rest of the media, that he plans to “play in as many games as possible.” Simply put, the best version of the Heat is when their best player is out on the floor.
He hasn’t played in more than 64/82 games in each of his five seasons for Miami. In fact, the first three years he wasn’t able to even reach the 60-game mark. His approach has been different in comparison from the regular season to playoffs. Some fans have gotten the impression that Butler likes to “coast” until he really locks in for when it matters the most come postseason.
That mentality has ultimately worked, as the Heat have had plenty of success during the Butler era, including 2 NBA Finals and an Eastern Conference finals in a five-year span. However, it seemed to catch up to him all in one moment during that devastating injury last season. His absence during the 2024 playoffs essentially stunted any hope of another deep run.
For Butler to acknowledge that he agrees with Pat Riley’s availability notion and make a vow to play in as many games as physically possible, it brings some refreshing life to the Heat. In years past, he would state that he expects to miss a certain amount of games. But now there is a lot more on the line, such as age and being on a contract year.
Butler is slated to be in a position to become a free agent this upcoming offseason, and could face his last chance on securing a final big payday. However, it looks like the future money isn’t on the Heat star’s mind:
“If we’re being brutally honest, nothing I do now is going to get me paid anymore money. Even though I don’t care about the money.
All-NBA… none of that is going to matter. I’m at a point right now that I got more than enough money. I’m just here to win.”
(- Jimmy Butler, via Anthony Chiang/Miami Herald)
His leadership has been a beautiful sight to see thus far. Butler has had all the right answers in regard to his contract situation and availability. Most importantly, it is genuine, and there could be arguably nobody else in the league more committed to winning than him.
A sign that goes along with this has even been his preseason availability, as he is set to start and play in his second straight in the team’s first two outings. Last season, Butler didn’t play in a single preseason game.
Time is not in Butler’s favor as he enters his age-35 season, and with the elite coaching and depth this team has, this could be the last chance he finally gets Miami over the hump. He is still playing at an extremely high level with no real decline being shown yet. Unless proven otherwise, Butler has the keys and is ready to will his squad back to an NBA Finals stage.
He has given the Heat more than anybody would have ever expected since his arrival back in 2019. If anyone deserves a shot on backing up his word, it is undoubtedly Butler.
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