Jimmy Butler definitely is a one-of-a-kind player. The Miami Heat star is known for delivering the best version of himself when it matters the most, turning up his level when the postseason gets closer. With the 2023-24 NBA playoffs drawing nearer, the 34-year-old made it clear his team will be up to the task.
“We’re good, man. I just wanna get into the playoffs. That’s it. We get into the playoffs, then we and I can take care of a lot. But I think us as a group, we’re going to be just fine,” Butler told Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.
Following a rather quiet level in the first half of the season, Butler is once again producing great numbers for the Heat, who are 7-3 in their last 10 games. Fans are starting to see what they call ‘Playoff Jimmy,’ with Butler explaining why he saves his best for this time of the year.
“You just keep a couple things in your pocket all year long, and whenever you do it at a certain point of the year, they deem it something else like ‘Playoff Jimmy,'” Butler said. “But it’s just me playing the long game throughout the season. I know that I’m really good at this game, and I know I could do a lot of things well on the basketball court. There are just times when you have to step it up a notch. You can’t show the opponent everything now. You have to always keep people guessing.“
Butler, a perfect fit for the Heat chasing his first ring
The Marquette product forged a reputation for being a player who may not be in the MVP conversation throughout the season, but eventually brings his A-game when bigger things are at stake. That explains why he’s such a great fit for the trademark Heat Culture based on hard work, commitment and accountability.
Before landing in South Florida in 2019, Butler spent time with the Chicago Bulls, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Philadelphia 76ers. But it’s in Miami where he found his place, perhaps because of the team’s culture and the way things are done within the organization.
Erik Spoelstra has been serving as Heat head coach since 2008, when he took over for Pat Riley, who led the franchise to its first championship in 2006 and continues to be the team president. But Butler’s arrival let Miami contend for the first time in the post-Big Three era.
He’s the kind of player Spo and Riley needed to take the franchise back to the top, with the Heat making two NBA Finals and a Conference Finals appearance in the last four years. But of course, the goal remains to go the distance and win a championship.
“I’m just different,” Butler said. “I think this is when you’re supposed to be playing your best basketball and you have to find a way to get your team to win these games when you’re talking about the playoffs coming around. But even right now, you’re getting everybody into their roles. You’re getting in a rhythm. And with my music, I’m getting in my rhythm. Speaking for myself and everybody else in this locker room, we want to win. That’s our focus.”
