The Miami Heat are a team with one star, and it isn’t Jimmy Butler.
Of course, that was the message delivered by Butler himself this week when questioned about the Heat being a team with only one star player.
“This is a team with one star?” Butler asked. “Who’s that star, Bam? I’ll take Bam as our star any day.”
Certainly, the question was asked with Butler in mind as the lone star on the roster. After all, Butler is a four-time NBA All-Star and a four-time member of the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
But, this season has painted a better picture of Butler. He has caught criticism in the past for clashing with teammates since he is a player that has never been one to hold his tongue when it comes to speaking his mind. That has rubbed his former teammates the wrong way but it seems to fit in well in South Beach this season.
Through the first quarter of the season, the Heat have raced out to the third-best record in the Eastern Conference at 20-8 thanks in large part to the play of Butler. He is pacing the Heat with 20.8 points per game but he has been quick to shine the spotlight on his teammates. From Bam Adebayo to rookies Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn, Butler doesn’t often talk about himself.
From the moment Butler agreed to join the Heat, his impact has been noticeable. The nine-year veteran arranged for some summer workouts with his new teammates and he even had Herro join him for a week in Chicago to get some work in. Herro recalled his experience working out with Butler, as reported by Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY.
Get up at 5:30 in the morning, workout at 6, another workout after that, get some lunch, another workout after that. It’s definitely something different, but I liked it. His hard work and dedication to the game leave an impact on everyone in the locker room.
Butler has immediately taken to Herro since joining the Heat. He has been impressed by his work ethic and willingness to guard any player on the court. As Butler said during training camp, Herro would even talk trash right back at him in pick-up games.
The team chemistry with the Heat is perhaps at an all-time high as everyone on the roster has completely bought into the Heat Culture, as it has been called in the past. The Heat have a proven track record of competing at the highest level and it has been no different this season.
Many thought the Heat were getting a proven star player when Butler arrived over the offseason but it turns out the star players may have already been on the roster.
At least, according to Butler.
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