On Saturday, the Miami Heat are scheduled to take on the Charlotte Hornets at home. Miami has lost three of their last four games. Therefore, they would likely be keen to secure a victory against the struggling Charlotte Hornets at Kaseya Center. However, they might have to do it without their superstar Jimmy Butler.
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The veteran forward has been added to the team’s recent injury report. Butler is nursing a toe injury in his right first MP joint. As per the latest reports, the 34-year-old has been listed as ‘doubtful’ for the game against the Hornets.
Butler’s injury has been a massive concern for the Heat. After missing only four of Miami’s first 27 games, he has sat out of 10 of their last 11. The six-time All-Star missed four games between December 20th and 28th due to a calf injury. He returned to the lineup in the Heat’s surprise loss to the Utah Jazz on December 30th. Butler exited the game after playing only 23 minutes with a foot injury. He finished the game with eight points, two rebounds and one assist.
Butler’s injury against the Jazz was diagnosed as a right toe/ MP joint sprain. He has missed the Heat’s last seven games with the ailment, and the streak is expected to extend to eight. Butler likely won’t suit up against the Hornets. However, Miami should face little trouble beating Charlotte. The visitors have lost their last four games and are 8-28. The Heat will back themselves to get a win without Butler.
Miami Heat’s record without Jimmy Butler this season
The Heat have had an inconsistent regular season so far. They are 22-16 and are currently seventh in the Eastern Conference standings. Miami has played 14 games without Jimmy Butler this season. They are 8-6 in those 14 games. They’ve been slightly better when the All-Star forward has suited up. With Butler on the court, they are 14-10.
The Heat are no strangers to having a rough regular season. They started as the eighth seed in the playoffs last season and eventually won the East to head to the NBA Finals. Butler and Miami aren’t too concerned about their regular season form because they are experienced at upping the ante during the playoffs.
However, Butler’s extended absence from the line-up is detrimental to his chances of earning individual accolades. Under the CBA’s new guidelines, no player with fewer than 65 appearances in the regular season would be considered for the MVP and all-league honors. Butler has already missed 14 games and will lose out on accolades if he misses four more games. However, the veteran forward isn’t bothered.
During a chat with media members earlier this week, Butler dismissed worrying about the NBA’s 65-game criteria to be eligible for individual awards. He said:
“You think I’m worried about some reward? The only reward I give a damn about is those [championship] banners over there…That’s all I told Spo [Erik Spoelstra], I told Pat [Riley], ‘I’m going to help us get that.’”
While Butler’s attitude is commendable, the Heat would hope to have him in the starting lineup soon. They wouldn’t want to finish below sixth in the standings and face the Play-In tournament, where a couple of slip-ups would end their season.
