It may have taken the Miami Heat far longer than they would have liked, but they have finally overcome the pesky Boston Celtics, defeating them in seven games and avoiding being on the wrong end of history in the process. They entered Game 7 with the momentum in their opponent's hands, but they remained mentally resolute and now, they've set themselves up for a date against the Denver Nuggets, a team that has dominated all three of their opponents en route to the NBA Finals.
One of the greatest stories of the Heat's surprising run to the NBA Finals has been the play of their role players (or, as Jimmy Butler views them, his “teammates”). Perhaps the best example of the Heat's ability to develop unheralded players into those who could impact the game at the highest level at the biggest stage is the emergence of Caleb Martin.
The Heat plucked Martin out of free agency after the Charlotte Hornets waived him before the 2021-22 season, and yet here Martin is, fresh off a 26-point, 10-rebound outing in the most crucial game of his career (thus far). And the way Martin got his points was even more breathtaking than his final stat line. He didn't just catch and shoot; his entire offensive arsenal was in full display, pulling up from midrange and confounding the Celtics with an array of spin moves, stepbacks, and sublime displays of footwork.
As a result of Caleb Martin's incredible emergence, some pundits and fans thought that he had a shot at winning the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals MVP award. But in the end, it was Jimmy Butler who won the accolade, much to the dismay of some given how riveting Martin's ascent into the spotlight has been.
Nevertheless, Butler remains the perfect recipient of the 2023 ECF MVP, and here are three reasons why that is the case.
The Heat's world remains in Jimmy Butler's orbit
Caleb Martin may have drawn the headlines and may have earned the most fans due to his breakout, but Jimmy Butler remains the Heat's unquestioned best player — perhaps on both ends of the floor.
The impact a star player has on his teammates cannot be overstated. Even head coach Erik Spoelstra harped on the fact that Butler, and perhaps to a lesser extent Bam Adebayo, infuse the entire Heat roster with confidence.
Credit must go to Caleb Martin for performing the way he did throughout their seven-game battle against the Celtics. But at the end of the day, the attention Jimmy Butler drew from the opposing defense is what allowed Martin to ease into his role as a secondary shot-creator and shot-maker. The Heat's offense, at the end of the day, is built on Butler's ability to get his team buckets, making use of his exquisite touch and footwork around the hoop to bend the defense to his will.
The Heat could only go as far as Butler goes. And the Heat, which have taken after their superstar's best traits, went far because of Butler's mental fortitude and ability to calm down nerves given his solidity on both ends of the court.
Stats don't lie
Caleb Martin was, without question, the hero of the Heat in Game 7, but throughout the series, Jimmy Butler has remained his superior. Even with less defensive attention, Martin averaged less points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks than Butler (even if adjusted for minutes).
Butler, in their seven-game series victory over the Celtics, averaged 24.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 2.6 steals, and he did all that with the Celtics' defense intent on shutting him down. The stats never tell the entire picture, but they give us a peek into the greater narrative at hand. And what the greater narrative will show is that Butler has been more than up to the task of fulfilling his responsibility as the Heat's best player — making him the worthy winner of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals MVP award.
This is Butler's 2023 Eastern Conference playoff crowning moment
All throughout the 2023 NBA playoffs, Jimmy Butler has been a nightmare to deal with for opposing defenses. Surely the likes of Jrue Holiday and Josh Hart still wake up in cold sweat having to think about how to slow down one of the greatest playoff performers of his generation.
Who could forget the time where Butler dropped 56 points against the Milwaukee Bucks and led one comeback after another to eliminate the Eastern Conference's one-seed?
Of course, those who voted for the Eastern Conference Finals MVP only took the performance in this specific series into account. But given Jimmy Butler's elite play for the first three rounds of the playoffs, it sure feels like awarding the MVP to him is the right move.
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