Dave Hyde: Positive Jimmy Butler means all is right on Heat's Day One (for now)

Dave Hyde, South Florida Sun Sentinel on Sep 30, 2024

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

MIAMI — The first game on the Miami Heat schedule was a long-awaited one Monday involving team president Pat Riley’s fired shots and veteran Jimmy Butler’s considered reaction.

Butler, just as he should, took it all off the schedule.

“Normal hair, no shenanigans,’’ he said at the team’s media day, meaning there was no wig, costume or odd first-day behavior like in previous years.

He also said, “I’m glad to be here.”

And: “We’re gonna win and we’ll take it from there.”

And so Day One came with a sigh of relief from inside the Heat in some manner. Because while we don’t know where this season ends, we know it doesn’t start with Butler in full diva mode before a ball gets bounced for real.

It’s been five months since Riley said the Heat wasn’t extending Butler’s contract as the organization could have. He told his veteran star to shape up to play more regular-season games and shut up regarding some comments about the Heat could have advanced if he’d been healthy

Riley, in short, drew the line of the Heat Culture. He wanted his star to act like a pro. That’s what separates the Heat from most organizations – well, that and Riley’s nine championship rings to back up calling out players, if necessary.

Butler can’t be happy about not getting a contract extension. That goes against form of how many teams operate. Just look across town. The Miami Dolphins dole out new contracts to player after player, even when there are questions, to keep everyone happy.

“Guess I got to hoop, got to prove that I am a major part of winning and rightfully so,’’ Butler said Monday. “I’ve done it before and this is no different.

“This is going to be a great year for myself. This is going to be a great year for the group of guys we have. That will take care of itself whenever that time comes.”

No South Florida athlete has delivered like Butler over the past five seasons. As exasperating as he became in missing games after oddities like watching tennis for eight hours, he picked up this franchise and drove it to two NBA Finals.

Can, at 35, he do so again? The trouble is the Heat haven’t seen him play hard since the playoffs two years ago after not extending himself last regular season and getting hurt in the playoffs.

Butler needs to paint a good self-portrait of himself this year, too. He could opt out of his two-year, $102-million contract after this season and cash in on free agency.

“I just want to play basketball and want to be available, like Pat was talking about,” he said.

The Heat’s primary problem last year was Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro only played 19 regular-season games together. That left them with the eighth seed. They were promptly sent into the offseason by Boston with Butler out.

Butler traveled the world this offseason right up to landing in Miami from Europe on Monday afternoon. Lots of Eastern teams had a similarly busy offseason. New York just traded for Karl-Anthony Towns. Philadelphia got Paul George and Heat veteran Caleb Martin.

The Heat did nothing of note. Their hope is the fragile one of better health starting with Butler, Herro and Terry Rozier.

“I’ve seen these guys play,’’ Butler said. “I’ve been in the league for some years now. All we got to do is get out there on the court and everything will take care of itself.

“I always say get four, five, however many good basketball players out there and they’ll figure out how to get it done. We’re no different.”

That’s how the first day went. It’s too early for Playoff Jimmy. This was the Positive Jimmy this team hoped to see. Maybe his words truly reflect. Maybe they were said to smartly deflect any public fight.

Maybe they show Riley’s verbal muscle worked.

What’s clear is the Heat need Butler to win, and Butler needs the Heat to get the kind of massive contract that might be out there for him.

“Not too many things can bother me nowadays,’’ he said. “I’m happy. I’m healthy. I got a beautiful family. I get to hoop. I need to play basketball.”

Day One and all is calm in the Heat’s world.

____