There are still people who are skeptical of the Miami Heat following their NBA Finals appearance last season. After an anonymous scout claimed Jimmy Butler “has no more upside” at this point in his career, Meyers Leonard couldn't help but respond.
Needless to say, Leonard wasn't having any of it:
How many more times do I have to see some bullshit like this? NBA scout my ass. Something tells me this “scout” has never touched a basketball. https://t.co/JHxU6CZbGf
— Meyers Leonard (@MeyersLeonard) December 19, 2020
In his first year with the Heat, Butler immediately became the emotional and vocal leader on the team. He also led the team with 19.9 points per game while also recording career highs in rebounds per game (6.7) and assists per game (6.0).
While he shot a putrid 24.4 percent from 3-point range — which was the lowest of his career since his rookie season in 2011-2012 — Butler shot a modest 45.5 percent from the field. Above all, Butler helped Miami go from being a team that missed the playoffs in 2018-2019 to advancing to the NBA Finals in 2019-2020.
Throughout the playoffs, Butler proved he can be the No. 1 option for a team that wants to win a championship. Besides shooting an improved 34.9 percent from 3-point range in the postseason, Butler also posted an impressive 22.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game in the playoffs.
Despite losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, Butler and the Heat battled hard and pushing the Lakers to six games despite key injuries to Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic. There's no doubt that Butler and Miami exceeded expectations after he was labeled as a player who wasn't capable of leading a team as the No. 1 option.
Even though critics continue to doubt Butler, it's evident that his teammates are going to always have his back. And, of course, Butler has plenty of confidence in himself.
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