"I'm gonna say Miami in 6" - Reggie Miller proclaims Miami Heat's title hopes are contingent on Jimmy Butler's consistency
The NBA Finals is set between Jimmy Butler's Miami Heat and Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets. Both teams' finals runs were overlooked in favor of other elite teams in the playoffs, yet here they are now.
On the "Dan Patrick Show," Reggie Miller placed his bet on Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat to win it all.
"It won't be a sweep, but it won't be a seven-game series," Miller said. "I'm calling it. I'm gonna go on a limb here, if Jimmy Butler can play like he did in Game 2 and 7 consistenly – he doesn't always have to have huge games but dictate and control the pace of the offense, and how they perform defensively – I'm gonna say Miami in six."
Jimmy Butler has led his Miami Heat against all odds to reach the finals for the second time in his career. He is averaging 28.5 points (48.3% shooting, including 35.6% from 3-point range), 7.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists in the palyoffs.
His breakout series was against the Milwaukee Bucks, the team with the best record in the league.He averaged an impressive statline of 37.6 ppg (59.7% shooting, including 44.4% from 3-point range) and 6.0 rpg.
After eliminating the Boston Celtics in seven games, the Heat find themselves in a tough matchup against the Denver Nuggets. Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets are fresh off sweeping the LeBron James-led LA Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals.
Denver has looked excellent at both ends of the floor throughout their postseason run. They rank first in offense at a 119.7 rating, and they also rank eighth in defense at a 111.7 rating.
Aside from the one-two punch of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, Denver is loaded with a deep roster that can mix-and-match in rotations. Players like Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown and Michael Porter Jr. have been quality contributors in this year's playoffs.
Meanwhile, for Miami, it ranks fifth in offense with a 116.1 rating and sixth in defense at a 111.5 rating. Jimmy Butler has mostly led the way, but the Heat have received consistent performances from Caleb Martin and Gabe Vincent.
The X-factor in this matchup will be Bam Adebayo going up against Nikola Jokic. Adebayo needs to bring that defensive tenacity he is known for when guarding Jokic, one of the most dominant big man in the league today.
Aside from his defense, he also needs to contribute in the 18-20 points range to provide that extra boost at the offensive end for the Heat.
Jimmy Butler on NBA Finals matchup against the Denver Nuggets
Throughout the regular season and even in the postseason, the odds have never been in their favor. But that hasn't stopped the Heat as Jimmy Butler spoke to the media following the Game 7 victory against the Celtics.
"Everybody's confidence is so high," Butler said. "We got belief that we can do something incredibly special. So, we're gonna hit the ground running when we get to Denver, and I like our chances."
The NBA Finals begin on Thursday, with the Nuggets having home-court advantage for the series. Interestingly enough, home-court advantage has never bothered Miami in its postseason run.