“Was he feuding with somebody?.. It’s just hard to trust Jimmy Butler” - Skip Bayless says he’ll go to his grave wondering if Jimmy Butler tried to make the 3-pointer in Game 7 vs the Celtics
Skip Bayless explained why he will question Jimmy Butler’s shot selection in the Miami Heat's 100-96 in Game 7 against the Boston Celtics forever.
Pointing out his newfound lack of trust in the Miami star, Bayless said:
“Was he feuding with somebody? … It’s just hard to trust Jimmy Butler.”
Butler's decision has garnered scrutiny. With more time on the possession clock than the game clock, Butler had the option to hold the ball and make the final play of the game.
Instead, he attempted a 3-pointer with almost 20 seconds left. With the miss, he gave Boston possession with a 98-96 lead.
As a result, many have criticized Butler. Bayless has become one of his critics as well.
The analyst has lost trust in Butler, who is known for his dominant playoff performances. Butler said he and his teammates thought it was a good look and that he did it with the intent of sealing the game.
If his teammates are comfortable with the decision, that is really all that matters. But Bayless is known for far-out takes and deep criticisms.
Butler has been one of the players Bayless was fond of, but now Butler may have put himself on the other side of that fence. If Bayless loses trust in your abilities, other people may as well. This could mean that Bayless is going to criticize Butler and may even provide enough logic for some to agree.
In any case, Butler averaged 27.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.1 steals and 0.6 blocks per game in the playoffs. The Miami star is one of the reasons why the Heat did so well this season, in the regular season and the playoffs. For that, Butler should be thanked, not criticized.
The shot selection remains questionable. With the clock in his favor, down only two in the final seconds, a 3-pointer could have been the icing on the cake, but the risk was high.
Butler shot 33.8% from 3-point range in the year's playoffs, which is not a bad average, but not the best either. With a 50.6% field-goal percentage in 17 postseason games, the better shot was something closer after bleeding the clock.
But nobody knows Miami's situation at the moment better than Butler. If the lethal playoff threat figured the shot was going in, his teammates' comfort with his decision makes sense.
Bayless' trust in Butler could be restored in next season's playoffs. Butler often learns from his setbacks.