Jimmy Butler injury update: Miami Heat star available to play against Washington Wizards after knee injury
Jimmy Butler’s injury report sent a sigh of relief across the Miami Heat camp. The star player is upgraded to available ahead of their first In-Season Tournament game against the Washington Wizards tonight.
Butler has been dealing with right knee tendinitis. He has played four of the five games averaging 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists. Butler has been struggling from the field as he has been shooting 35.7% from the field and 25.0% from the three-point line.
Apart from Butler, Bam Adebayo, who was dealing with a left hip contusion and Kevin Love will be available to face the Wizards. After their 109-105 loss to the Brooklyn Nets, the Heat are 1-4 in their record, with the lowest ranking in the Eastern Conference.
Butler is playing his 13th season in the NBA. Last season he averaged 22.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Moreover, he also had an excellent season shooting from the field. He played 64 games and shot 53.9% from the field and 35% from beyond the arc.
Can Jimmy Butler lead the Miami Heat to another NBA Finals in 2023-24 season?
The Miami Heat made two trips to the NBA Finals twice in the last four seasons and most of the credit is due to Jimmy Butler. Last season, they were the only 8th-seed team to have made it to the finals.
Butler, as a player, is the perfect embodiment of the Heat culture that Pat Riley has been preaching for years. He is relentless, rough, and knows how to lead in difficult situations. However, the way Jimmy played in his first four games of the season, it is hard to believe that they might be able to summon magic again.
Heat had an early blow when Damian Lillard was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks instead of Miami. Not only is the team falling short of playing their best basketball, but their best player, Butler, is also shooting career-low in field goals and under 30 percent from the field.
It is hard to think that the Heat can make it to the Finals this season, especially after the Celtics and the Bucks got better this offseason.
Meanwhile, Miami has barely gotten better and Butler turned 34. Again, it is the Miami Heat and they have shown nothing but grit in their two tours of the NBA Finals.