The Miami Heat are in for a tough road in their quest to make the NBA Finals. They finished the regular season as the eighth seed and will face the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the play-in tournament.
Most NBA players hate being in the play-in tournament, with LeBron James and Draymond Green being two of the most vocal about their displeasure with the new playoff format. However, the play-in probably doesn’t matter to Jimmy Buckets and the rest of the Heat.
His warning to the rest of the NBA earlier in the season resurfaces as the team prepares to focus on their upcoming playoff games.
Jimmy Butler fires warning that will have opponents worried about the Miami Heat
Jimmy Butler interviewed with Slam Online’s Alex Squadron in March as the Heat were ramping up their postseason push. While their efforts weren’t rewarded with an automatic playoff berth, they were able to secure a potential match with the New York Knicks if they managed to take down the Philadelphia 76ers in their first play-in game.
His message was loud and clear during the time, and it was a warning nobody wanted to hear:
“It’s the time where people really gotta think about going up against the Miami Heat and myself. I know what I’m capable of. I know what my squad is capable of. And don’t nobody want to see us in a seven-game series anyways. We know that.”
Some might dismiss his words as empty threats, but their last ten games of the season paint an entirely different story. They only lost three games, with their 111-92 defeat to the Dallas Mavericks being the only real blowout among the three.
Playoff Jimmy is ready to wreak havoc
Jimmy Butler had a solid 2023-24 season, averaging 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.3 steals through 60 starts. His absence is one of the probable reasons behind the team’s status in the play-in.
However, he wouldn’t be called Playoff Jimmy for no reason. Butler averaged an incredible 27.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.9 steals on 48.4%/34.9%/82.1% shooting splits in the past two postseasons. He ups the intensity during big-time games, making him one of the most terrifying players to play in the postseason.
With his Miami Heat teammates also adopting his mentality, it’s not hard to imagine them making another improbable run to the Finals.
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