Stephen A. Smith Doesn't Mince Criticism Toward Jimmy Butler

Every NBA fan was seemingly waiting for "Playoff Jimmy" Butler to show up and carry the Golden State Warriors to a series win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

That time never came. Butler averaged 20.2 points but had just two games where he attempted more than 15 field goals.

Stephen A. Smith was the latest analyst to throw shots at Butler's disappointing postseason.

"We got love for Jimmy Butler," Smith said Thursday on NBA Countdown. "We know who he is. We needed him to get one game." 

Many anticipated Butler unleashing his Miami Heat form, in which he carried undrafted sharpshooters to the NBA Finals. However, he couldn't elevate himself to the No. 1 option with Steph Curry sidelined. Smith acknowledged Butler's ailments but still withheld excuses for the six-time All-Star.

"When he was acquired, he wasn't just acquired in a trade," Smith said. "He was given a two-year deal for over $113 million. And when Steph Curry went down early in Game 2, they said, 'We need one game. (Curry) is probably going to be back for Game 6 ... I need one game from a dude that took a team to the Finals twice. We need one game just to get Steph Curry back, and he couldn't do it."

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Jayden Armant is a graduate of the Howard University School of Communications and a contributor to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.