There are instances when a player's reputation gets the better of his performance on the court. One good example of that notion is Jimmy Butler and how he has been perceived throughout his whole career. After being known for creating a substantial amount of drama and tension in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Minnesota, Jimmy Buckets is finally living up to his potential with the Miami Heat, especially after taking a commanding 2-1 lead over the Boston Celtics.

The thing is, those Jimmy Butler rookie cards are also starting to catch up in the market. We take a look down below at how his stock in the hobby is doing and why it's getting a lot of attention recently.

The Dominance of Playoff Jimmy Butler

For quite some time, Jimmy Butler has been overlooked by NBA fans and card collectors out there. Unlike proven veterans, such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Giannis Antentokounmpo, and even young stars with a lot of demand to their names, like Luka Doncic or Ja Morant, the Miami Heat star isn't exactly a hot stock in the market. Well, if his regular season and playoff performance are any indications, it appears that the demand for this guy should be higher than everyone expected.

In the 57 games Butler played during the regular season, the Heat's starting small forward posted 21.4 points by connecting 48% of his field goals while making 5.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.6 steals per contest. But apart from his stellar play on both ends of the court, his box score of 6.3 is seventh in the league. Only Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic are better than him in the aspect. All things considered, that's a great list of All-Stars to be identified with.

Of course, playing in the playoffs is a different beast altogether. For one, the defense is tougher and opposing squads seem to take their intensity up a couple of notches during this time of the year. Turns out, Butler has can match any intense competition so far, or even play better.

During the first round, the Heat's All-Star forward took on Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks. While Young is considered as one of the league's best offensive players, he and his team were no match for Butler who led Miami with 30.5 points on 54/43/79 shooting splits while making 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.3 steals. With this kind of performance, it only made sense for the Heat to get rid of Young and the Hawks with a 4-1 first round performance.

While Miami had a relatively easy time with Atlanta, they would face a more significant threat in the second round as they faced a Philadelphia 76ers squad with Joel Embiid and James Harden in it. Fortunately, Butler showed up and played well, a factor that can't be said about Harden during the entire series. In six games against the Sixers, the Heat's number one option averaged 27.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.7 steals in 37.5 minutes. Thanks to that impressive performance, plus the absence of the Beard in crucial parts of the series, the Heat advanced to the East Conference Finals.

Although the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers presented some sort of challenge to the Heat, they were, in no way, serious threats that could derail their title hopes. The Celtics, on the other hand, are a much tougher foe that would squeeze every ounce of strength Miami has. Fortunately, Butler showed up during the first two games and posted averages of 35 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks in 36.9 minutes. And while he went out with a knee contusion during Game 3, his teammates stepped up and ensured that they still have the lead over Boston moving forward.

The numbers above are only a glimpse into the real impact Butler has for the Heat and how impressive he has been during this postseason. If he continues to play this way, there's a good chance Miami can make it back to the NBA Finals. If that happens, expect those Jimmy Butler cards to burst through the roof sooner than later.

The state of Jimmy Butler rookie cards

Jimmy Butler's most popular rookie card, his 2012 Prizm, has the distinction of being the brand's introduction to the hobby, along with those that feature Damian Lillard, Klay Thompson, and Anthony Davis. That's why it's not surprising this card is rising through the ranks, not only because of its status as a first-edition product, but thanks to the All-Star forward's impressive playoff performance as well.

Jimmy Butler, Heat, NBA Cards

In a three-month graph by Card Ladder, Butler's PSA 10 2012 Prizm rookie card has risen from $212 last February to its current value of $255. What's surprising, though, is that the card dropped to $170 at the start of May and rose to $255 in such a short amount of time.

This increase reflects Butler's impressive playoff run and the sentiment that the Heat can actually make the Finals. Expect his stock to become hotter, especially if he dominates the Celtics in the East Finals.

The verdict on Jimmy Butler cards

While Jayson Tatum, Luka Doncic, and Stephen Curry are big stars in their own right, it's actually Butler who's playing the best two-way basketball out of the remaining guys in the playoffs right now. This performance is clearly reflected by his rising stock in the card market.

Jimmy Butler, Heat, NBA Cards

That's why it makes perfect sense to sell his stock as soon as possible. Those Jimmy Butler rookie cards aren't that in demand for most of the season, which means collectors will have a hard time selling them for any other time than now. Doing so will help maximize your profits on a white-hot player who's playing at the peak of his playoff career now.

Collectors should also be wary because Jimmy might burn out or potentially sustain an injury with the way he's playing lately. Rather than see your cards plummet, it's best to sell them while Butler is scorching in the card market.