As we get ready to celebrate the start of a new year and a new decade this week, NBA teams are approaching the midpoint of the 82-game regular season grind.
One of the most surprising stories comes from Miami, where the Heat have run off five straight wins to move into the second playoff seed in the East with a record of 24-8.
I remember seeing a number of dubious comments on my Twitter timeline when I suggested earlier in the season that the Heat could challenge for home court advantage in the opening round of the playoffs. I’m sure a lot of that reaction came from Bulls fans who have been reading all the negative media coverage surrounding Jimmy Butler over the last few seasons.
When Butler bolted from a possible championship contender in Philadelphia to sign a free agent deal with the Heat last summer, many fans assumed it was Jimmy taking his diva act to South Beach just so he could be the unquestioned No. 1 option in the offense.
Turns out Butler has been a perfect fit for the culture of hard work and accountability demanded by team president Pat Riley and head coach Eric Spoelstra. Butler leads Miami with a 20.5 scoring average, but the bigger story has been his career high 6.7 assists per game. Butler has set the tone with his unselfish play, helping young perimeter players Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro thrive in the Heat’s equal opportunity offense.
The other big development in Miami has been the improved all-around play of bigman Bam Adebayo, who’s added some offensive versatility to his previous role as a rebounder and shot blocker. Adebayo is challenging for an All-Star spot in the East with his averages of 15.6 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.
Miami should be even stronger heading into 2020 with the return of Goran Dragic from a three-week absence and the expected return of versatile young wing player Justise Winslow. The Heat also could be active in the trade market, looking to add a veteran point guard like Chris Paul, Dennis Schröder or Jrue Holiday, that might give them a shot at winning a playoff series against Milwaukee, Philadelphia or Boston.
Butler says he’s never been happier and plans to finish his career in Miami. I’m sure he’ll be a popular interview subject when the league’s best players gather in Chicago for the All-Star game in mid-February.
Now, on to this week’s power rankings.
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