Jimmy Butler must be selected as an All-Star this season.
During the 2021 All-Star Weekend, his early missed time, and a similarly up-and-down start to the season for the Miami Heat, meant Butler was absent for one of the marquee days on the calendar. Aside from a trip to the NBA Finals, Butler finished the 2020-21 season averaging 21.5 points, 7.1 assists & 6.9 rebounds while leading the league with 2.1 steals per game. When you factor in Butler’s 60.7 true shooting percentage, only Michael Jordan and James Harden had previously recorded a season with those numbers or better, per Stathead.
Fast forward to this season, and history has seemingly repeated itself. Butler has missed 14 games early due to injury and overall maintenance. While the Heat currently hold a 22-20 record, his output has been superb, posting 22.4 rebounds, 6.4 rebounds and a league-leading 2.2 steals per game. And again, when you factor in Butler’s 61.8 true shooting percentage, the best of his career, only the aforementioned Jordan and Harden have produced such a season return.
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But it was his most recent performance that should leave no voter in any doubt as to whether the 33-year-old should earn All-Star selection for the seventh time. With the Heat hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder minus four starters in Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Kyle Lowry and Caleb Martin, Butler shared the court with an assortment of undrafted teammates and a pair on two-way contracts. Despite this, he registered 37 points, seven rebounds, four assists, four steals and three blocks while converting on an astounding 23-of-23 from the free throw line.
In doing so, Butler helped the Heat register the single best free throw return in a game in NBA history without a miss – a total of 40. Following the 112-11, capped by a game-winning 3-point play by Butler with 12.9 seconds remaining, head coach Erik Spoelstra was effusive in his praise of his latest gem:
“Jimmy was just relentless with his attacks, relentless. Going against a big, physical matchup, and he was just finding a way to get to the rim….that takes a lot of calories burning, to have that kind of effort to get there. But then also to have the calm state of mind after that kind of physicality, to be able to relax your mind and be able to convert those free throws.”
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Butler’s 23 made free throws means he’s now nailed a total of 40 from the line over the past three games, joining Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lauri Markkanen as the only players to have achieved this over a 3-game span this season, per Stathead. It’s his ability to impact not only at the offensive end as a go-to scorer, but also lead the league in steals per game while ranking fourth in deflections per game means he is the true definition of an elite two-way player.
Currently in eighth spot in the Eastern Conference, the Heat still have plenty to improve upon as this season progresses. But if there is one thing certain, it’s that Jimmy Butler is selected as an All-Star at the upcoming festivities in Salt Lake City.