The term “Playoff Jimmy” has been liberally used since the start of the 2023 postseason, and with reason. For the Heat, it’s because their best player has had a knack for showing up when they most need him. He willed them back from a fourth-quarter deficit against the Bulls in the play-in match to secure the eighth seed, and then put up ridiculous numbers to promptly made short work of the top-ranked Bucks in the first round. He then did the same to the Knicks in the conference semifinals, starring in all five games he was able to play. And against the Celtics yesterday, he was again at the forefront of a spirited second half run to prevail in Game One of the West Finals.
Considering Butler’s performances and the extreme efficiency he has displayed therein, it’s no surprise that not a few quarters have deemed him their “hero.” Significantly, he has tried to shy away from the spotlight. “I ain’t nobody’s hero, man,” he said after the Heat became just the second in 11 years to defeat a Number One seed in the first round of the playoffs. “I’m just a decent basketball player that’s so fortunate to be able to put on a Miami Heat uniform and compete with these incredible teammates.”
Well, Butler has been just as “decent” since then. Yesterday, he presided over a Heat onslaught in the third quarter, and then buried the Celtics for good with a backbreaking three in the last minute of the close contest. When asked in the aftermath how he has managed to continually exceed himself, he contended that “I’m playing at an incredible level because [my teammates] are allowing me to do so. They are not putting a limit on my game. They are trusting me with the ball.” And why wouldn’t they? He has delivered in every way so far.
So far in the 2023 Playoffs, the Heat have opened a series with an emphatic win on the road. They’re now just three triumphs from grabbing a spot in the National Basketball Association Finals, a development not even their most loyal fans thought possible in light of their regular season travails. And if they’re close, it’s because Butler has reached unprecedented heights. The sample size may be small, but the body of work is nonetheless remarkable — one unmatched in the storied annals of the black and red.
The Heat still have much to do, and the Celtics will undoubtedly bounce back. That said, they can at least approach the challenge with confidence. For all the supposed talent gap, they have Butler on their side, and, for them, it’s what ultimately matters.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
