The Eastern Conference Finals will tip off on Tuesday night in what should be an epic showdown between the top-seeded Miami Heat and a young and hungry Boston Celtics side. ESPN's Stephen A. Smith has provided his take on the series, and as it turns out, the renowned broadcaster has a bit of a harsh reality check for Jimmy Butler.
According to Stephen A, Butler and the Heat do not have time on their side — something that Jayson Tatum and Co. have plenty of. Smith argues that at 32, Butler is already in the twilight of his career. At this point, the Miami star has much more to lose as compared to Tatum (h/t First Take on Twitter):
“When I look at Jayson Tatum, you already been to like 3-4 conference finals. And you’re 24 years old. You’ve got time on your side. Time running out on Jimmy Butler,” Smith said.
.@StephenASmith says Jimmy Butler’s opportunities are dwindling when compared to Jayson Tatum’s.
“When I look at Jayson Tatum, you already been to like 3-4 conference finals. And you’re 24 years old. You’ve got time on your side. Time running out on Jimmy Butler.” pic.twitter.com/oRgKBFG4ON
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 16, 2022
It's hard to argue against Stephen A's facts here. Even Minnesota Timberwolves guard Patrick Beverley, who himself has been a bit combative against Smith, could not agree more with Stephen A's assessment.
Butler has proven that he is still one of the top players in the NBA today by doing marvelous things for the Heat this season. However, what cannot be denied is that Father Time will catch up with him sooner rather than later. The same cannot be said about Tatum, who clearly still has a bright future ahead of him. Tatum is in line to dominate the NBA for a long time.
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