Jimmy Butler, the best player on the Heat and one of the best in the NBA, is listed as questionable for Game 2 of the East semifinal series against the Knicks, this Tuesday, May 2, and it is expected that it will not be known if whether or not he will play until moments before the game at Madison Square Garden.
This was confirmed by the Miami coach Erk Spoelstra this Monday, although on the other hand it has been said that the striker has improved with the treatment and that it is likely that he will be available.
“He is in treatment 24 hours a day,” Spoelstra said. “I probably won’t have any updates until before the game.”
Even if it was “fine” Butler should not risk. The Heat already have what they are looking for in New York, which was nothing more than a victory and a relapse could be worse.
Apart from that he would play 50 percent against a team that is going to come out much stronger.
Miami has the third game on Saturday (3:30 pm) so he would have a week of rest and treatment and it is very likely that he will be practically recovered by that game.
Of course, this Heat is not the same without its star, but it still tends to grow in the face of adversity and even if the next man is not Jimmy, he would fight so that his absence is not too noticeable, in addition to distributing his points among everyone.
In the season Victor Oladipo was the player who used to take Butler’s place, but now Dipo is out recovering from surgery on his left knee. So the small forward spot could be played by Duncan Robinson or Caleb Martin.
For his defense Martin would be the most suitable, but for his attack it could be Robinson.
There is some option with Haywood Highsmith, another good defender, but in addition to dealing with knee tendonitis, this one is not the scorer needed for this type of game and would be better as a member of the second unit.
Likewise Spoelstra can use rookie Nikola Jovic, who is now available after overcoming lower back problems, along with Cody Zeller.
The Knicks don’t have the same height problems that the Bucks did, but Miami still needs its big men against its 7.0-foot centers and especially if Julius Randle finally plays.
Most likely, after the loss of the Knicks in Game 1 and with a little more rest, Randle will participate in this second game of the semifinals, although it is very likely that he will not be 100 percent.
Randle has less risk of relapse, since he lives more on his shot, so the Heat will have to keep a man on top of him that makes it difficult for him to shoot well.
The same without Butler, Miami will have to deal with stopping RJ Barrett, who has great ease to score as well as Jalen Buzón, who is questionable due to ankle pain.
Brunson was dissatisfied with his performance in Game 1, despite scoring 25 points, but it won’t be easy for him to overcome the sore ankle. Even the Heat could take notes on his moves and fare worse.
As a good Heat fan says, perhaps Spoelstra, seeing that there are two opponents touched, can keep Butler on the bench in case it is necessary at the end. It’s better to return to Miami 2-0 than 1-1.
Of course, if Butler plays, it’s better, but it’s not the best idea.
The important thing is that the Heat come out aggressive, full of energy on both ends of the court. That will be the key.
2023-05-02 16:38:32
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