“It is time for Playoff Jimmy to spring back to life” – Skip Bayless expects Jimmy Butler to bounce back in Game 3 vs Nuggets
This postseason, there have been few players to perform better than Jimmy Butler. The All-Star forward has taken his game to new heights as he carried the eighth-seeded Miami Heat all the way to the NBA Finals.
Through two games of the Finals, it appears that the wear and tear of a long playoff run is taking its toll. From a numbers standpoint, Jimmy Butler is posting his lowest numbers of any series this year.
With his production taking a slight dip, one analyst called out the Miami Heat star. During a recent episode of 'Undisputed', Skip Bayless opened up on how "Playoff Jimmy" needs to make a return.
"It is time for 'Playoff Jimmy' to spring back to life. Especially tonight at home where you could argue is a pivotal Game 3 for momentum's sake."
"A game like this of this magnitude requires your best player to be your best player."
"It is time for Playoff Jimmy to spring back to life."
@RealSkipBayless is picking the Heat to win Game 3 https://t.co/c7tq6ivXQl
In the Heat's Game 2 win, Butler ended the night with 21 points and nine assists on 7-19 shooting from the field.
Breaking down Jimmy Butler's playoff numbers
Overall, Jimmy Butler has played at the same level. That being said, Skip Bayless brings up a valid point. This is a valuable game for the Miami Heat, and they can't waste an opportunity to go up 2-1.
Part of why Butler's numbers look low in this series is because he had a lackluster Game 1 performance. In 38 minutes of action, he posted just 13 points on 6-14 shooting from the field.
Throughout the entire postseason, Butler is still averaging 27.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.9 assists. However, he is only averaging 17 points per game against the Denver Nuggets so far.
Looking at the entire playoffs, Butler's best series was in the first round against the Milwaukee Bucks. In those five games, he averaged over 37 points per game and shot close to 60% from the field.
After that upset, Butler posted around the same numbers against the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics. In both series, his averages sat around 24 points, seven rebounds, and six assists.
If the Heat are going to take Game 3 on their home court, they'll need Butler to get back to that level of production. After dropping Game 2 in heartbreaking fashion, Nikola Jokic and company will be looking to steal a game on the road and regain homecourt advantage.