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After Jimmy Butler’s heroic 47-point performance in Game 6 of the Miami Heat’s Eastern Conference finals series against the Boston Celtics, P.J. Tucker still can not fathom that the guard did not make an All-NBA team this year.
Speaking after the Heat’s crucial road win on Friday, Tucker was asked on just where Butler ranks among all the “good” players who he has played with over the course of his career. The veteran forward went on to note that Butler deserved to be selected for an All-NBA team for this season.
“He's right there with the best of them,” Tucker said. “It's funny, he doesn't get the credit. I think it's insane he doesn't make All-NBA. That is almost impossible to me.
“But, I mean, these are games right here. I think, where other players play well all year, got numbers, but in those big moments, close-out games, stepping up, being big, just like doing everything — he's done that all year long. Just step up in big moments and make plays, whether it's scoring, defensively, rebounding. … He's one of the best, for sure.”
The league announced on Tuesday the 15 players who were selected for an All-NBA team this year, which did not include a single Heat talent, although the team finished regular season play with the best record in the Eastern Conference. Butler received a pair of votes for the All-NBA second team and a grand total of 26 votes for the All-NBA third team.
Butler was included in the All-NBA third team in four of the previous five seasons, but after a campaign in which he missed time due to multiple injuries, he was left off of this year’s All-NBA teams.
For Tucker, what matters at the end of the day are Butler’s performances in the NBA playoffs, which deserve much appreciation.
“You can appreciate Jimmy all the time,” Tucker said. “You just watch him play, how hard he plays both ends. … It was good to see him get going like that after a couple days that everybody is talking that he's not doing this or that, to see him respond and really be aggressive.”
The Heat will now look to eliminate the Celtics in Game 7 and clinch a spot in the 2022 NBA Finals.
