Jimmy Butler is a hell of a player, and we sometimes tend to forget that. Especially at the end of a very average Heat season. But the winger hasn’t had much to reproach himself for this season, and he behaves like a “franchise player” when it comes to qualifying the Heat in the playoffs, or maintaining the home advantage against to the Bucks.
Tonight, facing one of the best defenses in the country, and one of the best defensemen in the NBA, the Miami star scored 30 points on 12 of 19 on shots with a 4 of 4 from 3-point range, in 28 minutes ! Yet he had Jrue Holiday on his back, but he will register 17 of the Heat’s 29 points in the first quarter with a 3 of 3 from 3-pointers. It is he who will launch a 14-0 which will allow the Heat to spend a quiet evening.
Jimmy Butler, a complete striker
“Jimmy will always be Jimmy” sighs Jrue Holiday. “He got a few 3-pointers, and that definitely helped him. He made 3-pointers in the first half, and it’s not his habit… Usually, he does a lot of things in the key or on the free throw line. But the fact that he put 3-pointers opened the game for him to penetrate, and the rest. »
But what to do to prevent it from happening again in Game 4? ” What I can do is keep him from taking offensive rebounds and cutting into my back. He had me several times by cutting behind me” replies Jrue Holiday. For Khris Middleton, it is necessary “continue to challenge his shots. He shot well, and he should be congratulated for his 4 of 4 from 3-pointers. But I thought overall we did a good job staying ahead of him, but we have to do even better. »
For Khris Middleton, Jimmy Butler has this ability to create his shot or provoke the defense from anywhere. “This guy plays so randomly with the ball… He can dribble all over the court, he can catch it and then go into the key… You just have to do a better job of preventing him from going in a little more the racquet, trying to get it away from its favorite areas, things like that”.
An alert behind
For the Heat, it’s precious to have a player capable of picking up his points on his favorite “spots”. “There are streaks where he can dominate a game on both sides of the pitch” emphasizes Duncan Robinson. “It’s a great feeling to wear the same shirt as a player like that. Its impact goes beyond the stat sheet. He set the tone in the first quarter, and we tried to follow suit. »
The only downside is this back injury, or rather the buttocks according to the medical staff. At first, Jimmy Butler remained on the field, but he eventually joined the locker room. According to Erik Spoelstra, he could have come back into play if necessary. After the meeting, Jimmy Butler did not go to a press conference, but he sent the message that he was fine. He should therefore be in uniform for the 4th round.
| Jimmy Butler | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2011-12 | CHI | 42 | 9 | 40.5 | 18.2 | 76.8 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 2.6 |
| 2012-13 | CHI | 82 | 26 | 46.7 | 38.1 | 80.3 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 4.0 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 8.6 |
| 2013-14 | CHI | 67 | 39 | 39.7 | 28.3 | 76.9 | 1.3 | 3.6 | 4.9 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 13.1 |
| 2014-15 | CHI | 65 | 39 | 46.2 | 37.8 | 83.4 | 1.8 | 4.1 | 5.8 | 3.3 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 20.0 |
| 2015-16 | CHI | 67 | 37 | 45.5 | 31.1 | 83.2 | 1.2 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 4.8 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 20.9 |
| 2016-17 | CHI | 76 | 37 | 45.5 | 36.7 | 86.5 | 1.7 | 4.5 | 6.2 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 23.9 |
| 2017-18 | MIN | 59 | 37 | 47.4 | 35.0 | 85.4 | 1.3 | 4.0 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 22.2 |
| 2018-19 * | All Teams | 65 | 34 | 46.2 | 34.7 | 85.5 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 5.3 | 4.1 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 18.7 |
| 2018-19 * | PHL | 55 | 33 | 46.1 | 33.8 | 86.8 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 5.3 | 4.0 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 18.2 |
| 2018-19 * | MIN | 10 | 36 | 47.1 | 37.8 | 78.7 | 1.6 | 3.6 | 5.2 | 4.3 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 21.3 |
| 2019-20 | MIA | 58 | 34 | 45.5 | 24.4 | 83.4 | 1.8 | 4.8 | 6.7 | 6.0 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 20.0 |
| 2020-21 | MIA | 52 | 34 | 49.7 | 24.5 | 86.3 | 1.8 | 5.1 | 6.9 | 7.1 | 1.4 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 21.5 |
| 2021-22 | MIA | 57 | 34 | 48.0 | 23.3 | 87.0 | 1.8 | 4.1 | 5.9 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 21.4 |
| 2022-23 | MIA | 64 | 33 | 53.9 | 35.0 | 85.0 | 2.2 | 3.7 | 5.9 | 5.3 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 22.9 |
| Total | 754 | 33 | 46.8 | 32.2 | 84.2 | 1.6 | 3.7 | 5.4 | 4.2 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 18.2 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
