Jimmy Butler

The Heat has now made it back to the conference finals, their second trip in three seasons, and is now just four wins away from another NBA Finals appearance – ...

And he’s not just doing it on the offensive end. Nevertheless, I don’t think it’s fair to simply gloss over what the Heat and Jimmy have done this season. Oh, and Bam Adebayo hasn’t even been that consistent on the offensive end so far in the postseason. Respect optional, what Jimmy and the Heat have done this season (and in the playoffs) is nothing short of magical. The Heat hasn’t missed a beat. Many laughed at the Heat’s two big offseason moves – in which they acquired Kyle Lowry and re-signed Duncan Robinson to a $90 million extension.

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) dribbles the ball up court against the Philadelphia. Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports.

And he’s doing so by having the highest scoring, most efficient postseason of his 10 trips to the playoffs. Miami will play either a Boston team with a switchy, suffocating defense, or the same Milwaukee team that locked up Butler a season ago, with perhaps the best defender in the world in Antetokounmpo. Butler and the rest of the Heat have passed every test so far in the playoffs, but a far greater challenge awaits in the coming round. (In fact, Butler had the best points per possession of anyone running at least four pick and rolls a game entering Thursday.) In the regular season, Butler initiated only 4.3 PnRs a game and averaged 0.92 points per possession. He is shooting seven attempts a night inside the restricted area and hitting 71.4% of his attempts, the only non-center with at least five attempts in that zone shooting at least 70%. He’s also been great between the foul line and the restricted area, shooting 61.1%, fourth-best among all players attempting at least three shots from there a night. The question of whether or not Butler’s offensive improvement is the result of a small sample size or an ascension to another level will be answered definitively in the next series. He hasn’t shot even 25% from deep in a season yet with Miami. And the long-distance shot essentially wasn’t part of his game during the regular season, as Butler attempted only two a night. The empty side actions largely prevent help defenders from crashing down at Butler on the elbow, who can deter him from getting into the lane and force him to settle for more midrange shots. In the playoffs, Butler is shooting 4.4 threes a game and connecting on 36.4% of them. Of all players who’ve played at least six games, Butler is third in scoring behind only Giannis and Luka Dončić. Those two are also the only other players besides Butler to meet the same benchmarks in scoring, rebounding and assists. Seriously, here is a list of players Butler is shooting (or has shot) better than from three in the playoffs: Stephen Curry, Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant, C.J. McCollum and, for good measure, his teammate Tyler Herro. Butler, of course, played for the Sixers before they traded him to the Heat in the summer of 2019. And particularly on the offensive end of the floor, Jimmy Buckets has shined like never before—better even than his run to the Finals in the Bubble.

NBA Twitter gives their best reactions to Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat eliminating the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 6 of Round 2.

It was all Butler and the Heat on the road. This was the first time the road team had won in this series as Miami got good production out of Max Strus as well to help Butler get the job done. Butler was making shot after shot and they all seemed like daggers.