For several seasons now, Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler has been widely recognized as one of the premiere two-way players in the league. Despite his comical non-selection to the annual All-Star game this season, Butler has only continued to enhance his reputation with the Heat with his sublime play on the floor.
Surprisingly for a player so elite at the defensive end of the floor, Butler has never been mentioned in serious discussions as a potential winner for the Defensive Player of the Year. One strong possible reason for this is simply due to his output at the offensive end, such as this season where he’s currently averaging 21.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists while shooting at an excellent 49.7 percent clip from the field and 85.4 percent from the free throw line.
Jimmy Butler is making a strong case for Defensive Player of the Year honors as the Miami Heat look to ramp up their postseason preparation.
But as impressive as these numbers are, Butler’s overall contributions defensively have been just as important. Take the Heat’s most recent win, 107-98 over the Portland Trail Blazers, which was the first outing as part of a four-game road trip.
In 36 minutes, Butler totaled seven deflections, four steals (including his 1,000th steal) and two blocks as he helped the Heat keep the dynamic Blazers backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum to a combined 10-of-28 shooting. For the season, the Heat now have a 105.4 defensive rating when Butler is on the floor, with this blowing out to 111.6 when Butler is resting.
Following the win over the Blazers, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra detailed what makes Butler so special at the defensive end:
"“His competitive fire, that things matter to him on that side of the floor, it puts him in a natural position to lead defensively. When you have your leading scorer willing to take on great challenges every single night. He’s very disciplined, he’s active, he makes multiple efforts, he knows scouting reports, all of these things allow you to build a great defense around his skillset.”"
Butler currently leads the league averaging 2.1 steals per game and is in sixth place with 3.5 deflections per game. Furthermore, among the 99 players who have averaged at least 30 minutes per game this season, Butler is ranked fourth with this 105.4 defensive rating. Additionally, per the Basketball-Reference analytical measurements, Butler currently ranks second in Defensive Box Plus/Minus, and third in Win Shares Per 48 minutes.
Players to average 20-7-7 with 2+ steals, since 1973:
— Basketball Reference (@bball_ref) April 9, 2021
Magic Johnson, 1980-81
Michael Jordan, 1989-90
LeBron James, 2004-05
Russell Westbrook, 2014-15
Russell Westbrook, 2015-16
Jimmy Butler, 2020-21
To give more of a specific indication of Butler’s prowess defensively this season, here’s an overview of some of his defensive assignments, and their accompanying shooting returns:
- RJ Barrett: 2-11 FG
- Bradley Beal: 3-8 FG
- Domantas Sabonis: 2-8 FG
- Stephen Curry: 2-7 FG
- Brandon Ingram: 2-6 FG
- Jaylen Brown: 2-6 FG
- Devin Booker: 1-4 FG
While ideally suited to defending wings, Butler has the ability to cover a vast array of players, with the list above demonstrating just how versatile he can be on that end of the court.
Looking ahead, the Heat will be looking to consolidate their win over the Blazers with a huge back-to-back slate against the Phoenix Suns and the Denver Nuggets. But if the past couple of weeks are any indication, the Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler will continue to terrorize the opposition at the defensive end of the court.