Jimmy G. Buckets has finally returned! After a 21-day hiatus from basketball due to COVID-19 protocols, Jimmy Butler has returned to the court for the Miami Heat. This hasn’t been the year for the Heat so far, and that is mostly due to the fact that Butler, along with a few other Heat players have missed significant time throughout the season. The Heat currently sit at 7-13 at the time of writing this article, and are 13th in the East. Not ideal to say the least.
I’ve gone on and on before about how good I think the Heat team can be. I mean, for goodness sake, they went to the Finals last year, so there isn’t any reason, in my mind, why they couldn’t go back to the Finals this summer. The reason they can make it back? Namely, Jimmy Butler.
I’ve made it no secret that Butler is one of my favorite players of all-time. He reminds me a lot of Kevin Garnett, my favorite player of all-time, with his fiery demeanor and passion for the game. Butler is one of those guys where, it could be some random Tuesday, in the middle of February, in Indiana, and he is still going wire to wire, trying to rip the other team’s heart out. You can’t teach that kind of tenacity. You either have it, or you don’t, and Butler has it in droves.
I think anyone can appreciate the career that Butler has had. Late first round pick coming into the draft, going to a very good Bull’s team and playing behind two stars in Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, and struggling for playing time his rookie year. Only averaging 2.6 points per game his rookie year, and steadily getting better year after year. Grinding away, even after Rose’s injuries, getting better and better. Winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award in 2015 and proving that he belongs in the NBA. I think that was the genesis of the Jimmy Butler we know today.
After winning the award, he became the man in Chicago. Then, like most stars, blame started being thrown his way. The Bulls weren’t doing that great, and they were looking to rebuild. They decided to trade Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but the drama didn’t stop there. There was of course the infamous story of Jimmy Butler playing a scrimmage with the 3rd string guys, going against the starters, winning the game, and then running his mouth the entire time. Personally, that story is the essence of why I love Jimmy Butler as a player, and I’m sure I’m not alone.
After his stint in Minnesota, he was dealt to the 76ers, where they lost to Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors on the shot heard around the world. After Philly, Jimmy Butler decided to take his talents to South Beach, and then the rest is history. Knocking off the Bucks and the Celtics, and taking the heavily favored Lakers to 6 games in the NBA Finals.
As I’ve mentioned before, this isn’t the year so far for the Heat, but with Jimmy Butler back, I don’t see why they couldn’t go on a run. In the last two games since Butler has returned, he’s put up 30/7/8 in a win against the Kings, and then 25/9/5 in a hard fought loss against the Hornets. Butler has the ability to take over games, as we saw last year in the Finals, and more importantly, I think he likes doing it. Some players get bogged down when they have to carry a team, but with Butler, I think he looks forward to it. Butler has been on record saying how much he loves his teammates, and watching the games, you can tell how much chemistry this team actually has.
I’m hyped that Butler is back, and I’m looking forward to what else he can do this year. I’ve watched his entire career and I truly believe that he’s only getting started.
Round The Game 
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