After the 2022/23 season, the Miami Heat lost 2 out of 5 starting players in the finals and had to rely on rookies and reserves to fill the void. However, contrary to everyone’s expectations, the Heat’s performance not only didn’t decline but showed signs of improvement. Dealing with multiple injuries, the Heat used 31 different starting lineups, more than the Celtics and Bucks combined. Despite the chaotic period, the Heat achieved a record of 35-29, better than their 33-31 record in the same period of the previous season.
Over the years, the Heat have proven that playoff seeding doesn’t matter to them. Despite consistently having low rankings, the Heat always find a way to advance deep into the playoffs. Last season, they became the first eighth seed to reach the NBA Finals since 1999.
“8th, 7th, 6th, or 5th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st, I don’t care. We don’t care,” Butler told Brady Hawk of Five Reasons Sports earlier this month.
Currently, the Heat are ranked 8th in the Eastern Conference and have a chance to climb to 4th place by the end of the season. With an 11-6 record since February 1st, combined with a favorable schedule for the remaining games, the Heat have a real chance to escape the play-in tournament.
Notably, the Heat’s number one star, Jimmy Butler, has started to find his form and is ready for an explosive playoff run. At the age of 34, Butler is still at the peak of his game and is considered one of the top players in the NBA. Jimmy Butler is still an effective scorer.
Three-point shooting has never been Butler’s strength. During his freshman year at Marquette, he attempted (and missed) four three-pointers throughout the season. Butler only had a 26.6% three-point shooting percentage in a Heat jersey entering this season.
That weakness is why his 42.5% three-point shooting this season has surprised many. Butler provided an explanation to reporters for his suԀԀen improvement: “If I wаnted to, I could shoot threes. But I like attacking the paint and colliding with opponents to see who falls first.”
At the age of 34, Butler still maintains his physicality and fiery playing style. He averages 8.1 free throw attempts per game, ranking 13th in the league. Perhaps no player at his position is better than Butler at driving to the basket and attacking the rim. Many of Butler’s clutch shots come in that style, including a step-back jumper against the Bulls in the final seconds.
Jimmy Butler and the Heat continue to improve their defense.
The Heat have always been a tough defensive team, but they showed signs of decline earlier this season. After allowing the Suns to score 118 points in late January, Butler admitted to reporters that “we got complacent.” At that time, the Heat ranked 13th in defensive rating.
That was a turning point for the Heat and Butler. Since that admission, the Heat have become the third-best defensive team in the NBA, with no major changes to their scheme or personnel. Every area of the Heat’s defense has become more solid, with players making more effort in their movements, and coach Erik Spoelstra making reasonable adjustments and changes. Butler has been named to the All-Defensive team five times. This season, it may be difficult for Butler to make the All-Defensive team, but his timely return is a great boost for the Heat. In fact, Butler is still an excellent defensive guard.
Jimmy Butler is receiving more support than ever.
This may not be the most talented lineup that Butler has played with, but it is the most balanced.
Butler’s usage rate of 24.7% is the lowest since he joined the Heat. He is still the main driving force of the team, but Bam Adebayo is playing better defense, Jaime Jaquez creates more spacing in the paint, and the ball is being circulated more among the shooters.
The Heat have eight players averaging at least 8 shot attempts per game. For comparison, the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets only have five players reaching that mark.
It took Miami a long time to find their current operating style. And now they have found the most effective way, which will be the weapon the Heat will use in the playoffs.
Butler told Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report earlier this year, “Now is not the time to show opponents everything you have. You have to keep them guessing.”
Don’t let the Heat’s position in the standings deceive you. This is a team with depth, a top coaching staff in the league, an All-NBA caliber player in Butler, and a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in Adebayo. The Heat have repeatedly proven that it would be a mistake to count them out of the championship race, and this year is no different.