Erik Spoelstra commends Jimmy Butler for his on-court attitude - “He’s not barking at his coach saying he needs the ball”
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra praised his superstar Jimmy Butler after the latter returned to action. With Butler displaying his influence on the team right off the bat, Spoelstra highlighted his star's best traits and how they helped the team.
The Miami Heat were the top-seeded team in the East last season. However, the same cannot be said for this season as the Heat currently occupy the ninth spot in their conference.
While much of this could be attributed to adjustment issues, the team were also playing without a key player in Jimmy Butler.
Butler has been the driving force behind Miami's success since joining the team. Given his dedication, work ethic and aggressive leadership style, the forward was the ideal fit for a franchise like Miami. Especially under coach Erik Spoelstra.
Butler's impact on the team's performance has been significant. With Butler sitting out seven games due to injury, the Heat racked up a 3-4 record. The balance in itself is a testament to Miami's roster strength. However, the team is definitely better with Butler on the floor.
This was quite clearly visible in Miami's recent win against the Boston Celtics. Featuring Jimmy Butler's return from injury, the Heat took the C's to OT to win the game 120-116.
Butler notched a solid double-double of 25 points and 13 rebounds. It paired beautifully alongside Bam Adebayo's 28 points and six rebound effort to lead Miami to a much-needed win.
With Butler returning to the floor, Miami looks like a different team. Coach Spo highlighted this when addressing a question about his star. He said:
"He plays the game the right way. He’s not barking at his coach saying he needs the ball or to get him this amount of shots."
“He plays the game the right way. He’s not barking at his coach saying he needs the ball or to get him this amount of shots.“
- Coach Spo on Jimmy Butler https://t.co/1Fo3YkHx1m
Butler's unselfish yet aggressive leadership style has blended seamlessly with this Miami Heat unit. With youngsters such as Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Max Strus feeding off of it, the Heat are a team to be reckoned with.
Spoelstra expressed a rather interesting aspect of Butler's game following the win against the Celtics. He mentioned that the forward doesn't "bark" at the coach for running plays through him. This lack of ego is ideal for Miami's system, which emphasizes a little more movement and unselfishness.
Jimmy Butler's return could kickstart a streak of wins for Miami. The team will certainly look forward to it as they find themselves only 1.5 games behind the Brooklyn Nets in sixth place.
Jimmy Butler's struggles with injury remains a concern for Miami
Jimmy Butler is known to be one of the toughest players in the NBA. As a strong and athletic forward, Butler tends to put an immense amount of pressure on his body as he plays hard on both ends of the floor.
While he has been an extremely durable player in the past, Butler hasn't had the same fortune with injury as of late. Having missed 25 regular-season games last season and nine games this season, the Heat will have to be extremely careful with how they manage Butler's minutes.
The forward often tends to load manage during games itself. Limiting his exertion and output over the course of the game, Butler amps up the intensity over the course of the season. This allows him to peak in time for the playoffs.
Considering that Butler and Miami have title aspirations, the team will need their star to be available for a larger portion of the season. With hopes of seeing him play consistently, the Heat will go into their next matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies.