Jimmy Butler is a clutch beast. Though not a flashy scorer like some of his peers, the Miami Heat small forward is versatile and has solid foundations. Butler’s style of play is all about teamwork. In fact, Erik Spoelstra’s ideology of building a unit is a perfect fit for Jimmy.
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He follows the mantra of doing what his team needs him to. It isn’t about stat-padding or leading the team in scoring, it’s all about winning for this man. In fact, Jimmy is such a straight act that he even refuses to blame referees for poor plays.
Jimmy Butler says he doesn’t feel like he was fouled on the shot on the final play.
“I should have made it.” pic.twitter.com/AD8mvLr1TT
— Wes Goldberg (@wcgoldberg) January 9, 2023
Usually, NBA stars are prone to blaming the referees after losing games. But not Jimmy Butler, he took the blame upon himself after losing to Brooklyn. Fans on Reddit pointed out that the 6ft 7″ Butler was essentially awarded a lot more free throws today, just a game after his support of the referee’s decisions.
Did Jimmy Butler get preferential treatment from Referees?
On Sunday, the Miami Heat lost a closely contested game against the Nets. After the loss, media people asked Butler if he blamed the refs for not giving him a foul. Jimmy refuted this stance and clarified that it was his fault for missing the crucial shot.
Today, in the game against Oklahoma, Butler was awarded 23 free throws and he made all of them. Fans on Reddit suggested there was a high chance Jimmy Butler was being given preferential treatment by the referees.
To be fair, the data is circumstantial. There is no way to prove whether Jimmy did indeed get the refs’ support for not blaming them. However, the number of free throws he won today is not really that common.
Moreover, not only was Jimmy given 23 free throws, even Miami made a record 40 free throws in the game without missing an attempt.
Miami Heat struggling to find their rhythm
Miami is currently 8th in the Eastern Conference. For a team that reached the conference finals in the previous season, their current slump is astonishing.
Spoelstra’s magic is starting to fade a little. Heat needs a booster, a player who can help the franchise become entertaining again. Though they have great offensive depth with at least three players averaging 20+ points, there still seems to be something missing from this recipe.
