Ever since the Miami Heat's seven-game losing streak, a light was lit under the fuse of star Jimmy Butler leading to great performances. It would start last Wednesday when the Heat beat the Sacramento Kings to snap the skid where he scored 31 points, collected 7 rebounds, and recorded six assists.
It continued Saturday when they got their second straight win against the Washington Wizards where he scored 24 points and collected nine rebounds. A key to Butler's game has been his aggressiveness which the team has been seeing much more of lately, especially from fellow star Bam Adebayo according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel.
“He’s been more aggressive than he was at the beginning of the season,” Adebayo said. “We know what that man can do when he’s locked in, and it feels like he’s starting to get his groove.”
Butler admits they lost games because of lack of aggressiveness
Butler even acknowledged to the media after the win to the Wizards that they might have “lost a couple of games” because he has not been as aggressive as he is at the current moment. He would further say that “we've talked about how that has to change” which could be in reference to the Heat's team meeting last Tuesday which was described as a “vulnerable” session where “things were said that needed to be said.”
“We’ve lost a couple games maybe because I haven’t been as aggressive as I’m supposed to be,” Butler said. “We’ve talked about how that has to change. And you come out and be aggressive and keep everybody on their heels, because I think if I’m playing like that, it makes everybody else’s job a lot easier.”
“I feel like I always play the same way,” Butler continued. “But I will say I do have to make my foul shots. I’ve been missing a lot of those lately. What’s even crazier, if I would make them, I would be 50-40-90, I’m just saying. I’m just saying.”
A breakthrough could be coming for the Heat as they are in the second half of the season as they just overcame a massive hole in the losing streak. Butler said that because they jumped over the hurdle. it is now “time to roll” according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
“We straight,” Butler said. “We always was even whenever we were losing games, we just got to get back to playing the right way, which we have, believing in one another, smiling and enjoying the process. Because I feel like we’ve hit that adversity, we got through it and now it’s time to roll.”
Erik Spoelstra said Butler “allows us to control the game better”
It was an efficient night against Washington as he made seven of his 10 shot attempts and made his one and only shot from three-point range. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra talked about the importance of Butler's aggressiveness, especially when it is on the road as it was shown in the victory to the Wizards.
“It allows us to control the game better, particularly when you’re on the road,” Spoelstra said. “It doesn’t really matter home or away. I mean, you’d like to do it both home and away. But if you’re able to control the game and get into the bonus on the road, that certainly helps. We were able to set our defense so many times from that. And different guys were able to get to the free-throw line because we were in the bonus pretty much in every quarter, and that was a result of Jimmy’s aggressiveness.”
Kevin Love said Butler sets up everybody else on Miami
A combination that has been fun to watch as been Butler and veteran big-man Kevin Love who have been in sync with one another ever since they came together in Miami. Love calls the uptick in aggressiveness for Butler “huge” for the Heat not just because of himself, but it sets up the rest of the team.
“It’s been huge,” Love said. “I think it’s been great for each and every one of us throughout the lineup. He’s the guy that when you establish him early, he’s always going to make the right play. He’s going to be incredibly efficient and he’s done it his whole career. And when he does that, it really gets himself going, gets him in attack mode, whether he’s shooting the ball, getting to the free-throw or setting up other players.”
The Heat are now 26-23 on the season which puts them seventh in the Eastern Conference. Miami now starts a four-game home stand which starts Sunday where they face the Los Angeles Clippers. They are then on a back-to-back Tuesday and Wednesday where they will face the Orlando Magic and San Antonio Spurs, then it concludes next Sunday against the Boston Celtics.
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