Don’t Hate Jimmy Butler, Philadelphia
The Jimmy Butler-led Miami Heat have exceeded the expectations of many, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2014.
As the Heat take on the Boston Celtics, many Sixers fans find themselves in a bit of a predicament when it comes to who to root for in the series.
There are either the division rival Celtics who brought an end to the Sixers playoff run by the means of a first-round sweep, or the thrilling Miami Heat led by Jimmy Butler, the all-star who left a sour taste in the mouths of many Sixers fans due to his controversial departure this past offseason.
Since that previously mentioned 2014 season (the last before Heat legend Lebron James would part ways with the franchise for the next step in his NBA career) the Heat have struggled to maintain playoff contention. Miami has won 3 playoff games between that 2014 offseason and the one currently ongoing, yet at the same time never made the playoffs two years in a row during the same time frame. However, now with a roster full of talent and potential mixed with experienced veterans alike, the Heat find themselves looking like a force to be reckoned with not only this year but many more to come.
This past offseason, the Heat acquired Jimmy Butler after the star guard worked his way out of the City of Brotherly Love by means of trade demand. Not only does Butler bring superstar talent to Miami, but his extreme drive and hardworking mentality proved to be a perfect fit with the mindsets of Miami Heat President Pat Riley and Head Coach Erik Spoelstra. By surrounding Butler with foundational pieces that are both talented and share the same work ethic, such as breakout All-Star Bam Adebayo and rookie standouts Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn, Butler is finally leading the team that fits him best.
After spending his first six seasons with the Chicago Bulls, Butler experienced two short stays with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Butler sought trades away from the two aforementioned teams due to their values not matching his, with his work ethic seemingly not being matched by his teammates and neither organization presenting the accountability he wished for.
“It was difficult. It was so different,” said Butler on “The JJ Redick Podcast With Tommy Alter” podcast. “On any given day, me as a person and as a player, I didn’t who the [expletive] was in charge. I think that was my biggest thing. I didn’t know what the [expletive] to expect whenever I would go into the gym, whenever I go into the plane, whenever I got into the game.”
Now a year later, the Sixers find themselves on the verge of a much foundational change for their franchise as they look to not only find and hire a new head coach but also are faced with many bad salary cap situation, such as former all-star Al Horford who quickly seemed to become one of the worst free-agent signings in Sixers history. Also, the Sixers chose to hand out a max contract to Tobias Harris over Butler last offseason, and while Harris has shown flashes, his talent is nowhere near other players with similar contracts.
So now, just because the Sixers first of many bad moves last offseason by failing miserably in trying to retain one of the hardest-working players in the league; they failed to meet his expectations in terms of a strong organization built on accountability.
There is no reason that Sixers fans should not cheer on Jimmy Butler as he leads one of the most talented and excited teams in the league.
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