When Jimmy Butler was ultimately traded from the Miami Heat to the Golden State Warriors, it didn’t take long for him and his teammates to have lofty goals. The Warriors were looking for a spark in a co-star alongside Stephen Curry to compete for a championship once again.
But when the lights were the brightest, Golden State didn’t receive that impact from their newest $60 million man.
As soon as Curry went down with a hamstring injury in Game 1 of the West semis, Butler was put into a role that he desperately forced his way out of—being the top option. Whether it was age, injuries or just not having enough time to build championship-caliber chemistry, Butler didn’t get it done when the Warriors needed him most.
In the final two games of their second-round matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Butler averaged just 15.5 points. He was passive offensively and unable to step up to keep his team afloat while Curry pushed to make his return.
It didn’t take long after their five-game ousting out of the postseason for criticism to pile up. And the Heat’s greatest player in franchise history had things to say.
Dwyane Wade said Butler didn’t do enough.
In a recent episode of Dwyane Wade’s podcast, he was candid when speaking on Butler’s most recent failure during these playoffs.
“I didn’t like the way he approached the game. You getting $60 million, this ain’t workin,” Wade said. “He won’t look at the basket (to score). I’ve seen this in a Heat Jersey. When Pat come out and say we don’t want to give you an extension, it’s not always injury, I need to see what you’ll do in every moment, not just one moment.
“We saw Jimmy in the bubble, he was a dog. I saw Jimmy in another finals vs the Nuggets. Did the same thing he did the other night. He didn’t look at the basket! Jimmy Butler is too good of a basketball player to not have his imprint on the game.”
Unfortunately for Warriors fans, Wade is right. Heat Nation knows better than anybody how real the legend of “Playoff Jimmy” was throughout his stint in Miami. But at the same time, Butler assuredly had his fair share of underwhelming performances on the way.
Playing injured in a deep playoff run isn’t an excuse. This is a guy who dropped 47 points on the road against the Boston Celtics with a severely banged up knee to keep the Heat’s season alive in the Eastern Conference finals just three years ago.
Granted, age and mileage do matter here. Butler will be 36 in September. But that only makes Golden State's financial commitment look more questionable while making Pat Riley’s reluctance to make that move financially brilliant.
Part of Butler’s excitement in joining Golden State was taking on the “Robin” role next to Curry's "Batman." However, as the second-highest-paid player on their roster, he needed to do more.
Curry’s absence magnified many of Golden State’s flaws. And a major one includes Butler’s inability to stay engaged as a top option offensively.
With the season on the line in a playoff stage, 10 shot attempts per game in those final two games isn’t going to get it done from one of your top guys. It's something that Heat fans know all too well.
Wade’s comments were spot on, and will need to be addressed within the Warriors organization when they attempt to run it back next year. However, the once dominant “Playoff Jimmy” days may be behind the aging Butler at this point.