After missing seven games due to knee soreness, Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler is in line to make his long-awaited return on Friday for a big matchup with the high-flying Boston Celtics, as reported by Tim Bontemps.
“Erik Spoelstra says Jimmy Butler will “warm up with the intention to play.”
“In Miami Heat lingo, that means Butler is playing tonight. Spoelstra said with a smile that Butler won’t play 15 minutes, and he won’t play 45.”
Big boost for Miami. They've really been struggling early on, sitting at 10-12 which is 11th in the Eastern Conference. Playing without Butler is far from ideal considering he's the heartbeat of this team. In 13 games in 2022-23, the veteran is averaging 20.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 6.1 assists while shooting 35.5% from downtown. Not the best numbers of his career, but still impactful.
Butler was dealing with some knee soreness that clearly proved to be worse than initially thought. In his absence, the Heat went 3-4. The injury report has been absolutely jam-packed nearly every game for Miami this season because of numerous ailments. Victory Oladipo is still yet to play, Tyler Herro has only played in 14 contests, and of course, Jimmy Butler is missing far too much time.
The Heat was bested by Boston on Wednesday night by a score of 134-121 and will be looking for revenge Friday. Jimmy Butler won't likely play heavy minutes but Miami needs him therefore he'll probably be a key part of the rotation. After leaving Beantown, they head to Memphis on Monday for a matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies.
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