Jimmy Butler: Alpha of the Miami Heat

In July of 2019, the Miami Heat completed a massive multi-team trade that saw Jimmy Butler arriving in South Beach. This was Butler’s fourth team in as many seasons, though; would he make it work with the Heat?

Likewise, there were concerns about Miami’s ceiling. How far could the team go with Butler as the team’s best player?

Fifteen months later, and we got our answer. With Butler as the team’s alpha, Miami was on to the NBA Finals.

Butler believes the expectation is to win at all cost and to do so through hard, two-way play. He’s a relentless leader in that way. In Chicago, his tenacity wasn’t quite right for a rebuild. Butler ended up in Minnesota, where it was clear the young Timberwolves weren’t up to his impeccable standards. He left Philadelphia for similar reasons.

His former teammate Dwyane Wade often remarked that Miami was the perfect cultural fit for Butler. And D-Wade was right. Butler seamlessly fit in, from the high athletic standards to the hyper-competitive nature of the organization. The famed “Heat Culture” - the best conditioning, the tough practices, the feisty disposition - all suited Butler perfectly.

Off the court, Butler was always praising and promoting his teammates, young and old. On the court, he was always looking to make them shine. Butler’s value to a team is hard to value for that reason.

Offensively, the Miami version of Jimmy Buckets led the Heat in both points and assists per game. He was busy bringing back the mid-range game while also looking to set up his teammates to score.

On the other end, Butler was an accomplished on-ball defender on the perimeter. In Miami’s zone he flourished, leading the team in steals. A two-way force, Jimmy finished 10th in box plus/minus over the season, boosting the Heat on both ends of the floor.

Most importantly, Butler played the role of closer for the Heat, and in a big way. Not since the Heatles days has Miami had such a killer in its employ. Jimmy Buckets stepped this up in a big way for the 2019-20 postseason down in Orlando.

Butler’s 3-point shooting was particularly good in the playoffs. As the Finals were under way and the injuries to the Heat mounting, Butler emptied the tank with two all-time Finals performances in Games 3 and 5, both Miami wins. Marvelously pacing himself all season while boosting his teammates confidence and saving himself for the playoffs, Butler has mastered what it means to be a team’s closer.

The first year of the Jimmy Butler experience in Miami was a resounding success. Exercising the demons of teams past, Butler embodied the culture of Miami. On and off the court, Butler was the ever-supportive leader looking to make those around him better. And when things got tough, Butler was the one who stepped up to bail the Heat out, delivering some amazing performances doing so. The first year of the Jimmy Butler experience has ended in Miami, with a highly anticipated year two soon to follow.