NBA All-Star 2020: 3 Reasons why Jimmy Butler deserved to be a starter
As a free agent this past offseason, Jimmy Butler decided to shake hands with Pat Riley and the Miami Heat for his newest NBA venture. Safe to say, he has been a recognizable force in a Heat uniform this season so far.
When the NBA All-Star Game 2020 starters were announced on Thursday, Jimmy Butler failed to bag a spot on the lineup. And as was expected, that didn't rub everyone the right way, considering his recent success in Miami.
"I didn't even know it until I got here this morning," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said of Butler's snub. "Yeah, I'm surprised by that, especially when you look at their record."
Coaches and media personnel put forward their rationale of why Butler deserved a starting berth for the All-Star game in Chicago next month. As is the norm, we shall discuss three valid arguments of why he should've made the cut.
#1 He has been leading the most exciting squad in the East
From what was initially considered as an hastily-assembled young squad, the Heat have emerged as an East powerhouse during the first half of the regular season. The team is currently 2nd on the Eastern Conference standings with an imposing 31-14 (0.689) win-loss record next to their name.
With seven players averaging double-digits in scoring and led by the veteran swingman, the Heat have laid a solid foundation for a deep playoff run. There is no doubt that Jimmy Butler's presence has been instrumental to Miami's dramatic surge this year. Equipped with fresh talent, the team is playing with a rejuvenated sense of urgency and has lost only two home games this season so far.
The All-Star voting returns are supposed to weigh in the team accomplishments as well while evaluating a player's bid. Butler has been the frontline of a resurgent run in Miami and he deserved to be acknowledged for his leadership.
#2 Butler's superfluous positional designations did him wrong
One of the glaring anomalies is put forth by Butler being listed as a frontcourt entity for Miami. In an increasingly positionless league, this basically robbed him off an All-Star berth. In more ways than one, the 30-year-old has handled point guard duties for the franchise this year by bringing the ball up the floor and making plays. Moreover, Coach Spoelstra lists Butler number two on his lineup card - which is the spot for a shooting guard.
"I'm so confused by it," Spoelstra said. "I just think it's ridiculous that we're still in these antiquated position [talks]. Who's to say what position Jimmy is. Does it matter? ... These are such antiquated labels. I feel like we moved on from that years ago when we started talking about positionless [basketball].
The aforementioned data makes up for an argument that there should not be defined positions on an All-Star lineup at all. The league is changing, and players' skill and versatility is taking over the basic positional boundaries.
#3 His 2019-20 numbers alone are worthy enough of an All-Star starter spot
Leading his team in scoring with an imposing average of 20.3 points, Butler has been Miami's offensive fulcrum all throughout the season. Shooting almost 45% from the field, Jimmy has been posting career-best numbers in 7.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game, to go along with his all-round presence on the court.
Playing with a fairly inexperienced roster, his intensity on the defensive end has been infectious. Butler's 1.8 steals per contest are the 6th best in the league right now. To put things into perspective, this is by far his best all-round season of his career stat-wise, and most importantly, it is resulting in consistent wins for his team.
All of the contributions on under 2.5 turnovers per matchup, Butler has been the quintessential leader for a team looking to make waves in the coming months. Butler has taken over the ball-handling duties whenever called upon and has also not shied away from taking his shots under crunch situations.