The NBA released the MVP ladder on March 5th, however, one missing name caught Duncan Robinson's attention. The Miami Heat guard was shocked to see that his teammate, Jimmy Butler, was left off the list completely, per Anthony Chiang. Butler has been having a spectacular season, as he's currently averaging 21.1 points, eight assists, and 7.4 rebounds per game.
“No, he doesn't,” Heat forward Duncan Robinson said when asked whether Butler's play gets the outside attention it deserves. “I think last year in the playoffs, he was starting to. But still probably not enough. But I think he enjoys leaning into that anyways and we don’t mind it either.”
However, Jimmy Buckets doesn't seem to care.
“Don’t care,” he said matter-of-factly when asked about the outside perception of his game.
Butler is definitely a player that thrives when he's viewed as the underdog. He helped lead the Heat to a surprising finals appearance in the NBA Bubble, where many thought Butler would finally receive the credit he deserves.
He hit a hot streak during the playoffs last year and has continued that high level of play. However, it's odd he's nowhere to be seen on the NBA MVP list. According to the Miami Herald, there are only a handful of players performing at a higher level than Jimmy Butler.
The only players on the NBA.com MVP Ladder with a larger differential in on/off court net rating this season is Embiid (16.3), George (14.6), James (14.2) and Leonard (13.4).
With the NBA All-Star break behind us, the fourth-place Miami Heat aim to climb the Eastern Conference rankings in the second half of the season. It might benefit them that Butler continues to be slept on, as they'll have another chance at shocking the world in the upcoming playoffs.
Catch the Heat take on the Orlando Magic on Sunday night, as Jimmy Butler should be putting on another spectacular performance to keep their three-game win streak alive.
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