MY ACCOUNT
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra lavished praise on Jimmy Butler following his side’s 120-85 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, labelling him the “ultimate competitor.”
Without the injured Kyle Lowry, Butler led the Heat with 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists, while keeping turnovers to a relatively low two despite higher usage.
After scoring 33 and 40 points respectively in losses on the road, Butler had more of a supporting crew in Game 5, as six other Heat players scored in double digits.
Spoelstra singled Butler out not only for his versatility, and how that drives the Heat, but his character.
“Jimmy is just such a stable, high IQ…he’s got a great feel for what the team needs, and he does it on both ends and that’s what’s really kind of lost on young players coming into this league,” Spoelstra said post-game.
“He has orchestrated so many things for us offensively, particularly with Kyle [Lowry] out, and he’s been able to toggle between those roles seamlessly, and make it look a lot easier than it is.”
Shots fell for the Heat as they took a 3-2 series lead, converting on 39.4 per cent of attempts from the perimeter and finishing with 26 assists as a team.
Butler finished Game 5 with an impressive defensive rating of 87.7, and Spoelstra believes his competitive spirit is transformative in both individual and collective senses.
“In terms of being just a scoring option tonight, he was that scoring option but also facilitating for us, he was kind of initiating offense for us quite a bit,” he said. “You just feel our whole team has a great sense of confidence when the ball’s in Jimmy’s hands and we leave the decision up to him.
“He’s a great competitor in his heart and his soul. He’s an ultimate competitor and when you get into competition, he understands the whole deal. You have to be able to do it on both ends.
“That’s what he’s been doing for us for three years, really competing for us on both ends, but he’s able to compete with a ferocity and do it with an incredibly stable mind.”
