"We have some contenders in the squad and I love that, I totally love that. The guys never left, we never gave up, we loved working side by side with each other and had confidence and trust in each other. That's what Butler said in an interview when the Heat won G2. This sentence explains the main reason why the Heat can black eight this season, eliminate the Knicks, and lead the Celtics 2-0. To put it bluntly, the Heat now have the strength to beat any team, maybe they are not as strong as their opponents, but their mental perseverance is comparable to any other team.
I believe, seeing that there are fans here, they will definitely ask, what is the success of this civilian team of the Heat? In fact, the answer to this question is very simple, that is, because the Heat have a good "locomotive" Butler, it is precisely because of a good "locomotive" that the Heat's high-speed train can move fast. For Butler, a player, he can use "four data career highs!" Not afraid of provocation + civilian team, doubts are muted" to describe it.
Butler has played in 12 playoff games for the Heat so far this season, averaging 39.6 minutes per game, 31.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 2.17 steals. He shot 51.8 percent from the field, 36.6 percent from three-point range and 80.7 percent from the free-throw line. Among them, the four statistics of points, assists, steals and shooting percentage are all Butler's career highs. Perhaps, everyone only looks at the data and does not feel how strong Butler is and how important Butler is to the Heat. Let's talk about how important Butler is to the Heat, using the Eastern Conference semifinals G2 as an example.
Against the Celtic G2, the Celtics were in the lead at the end of the quarter. However, Gwee made a very big mistake, that is, spraying each other with Butler. As a result, Butler led the team in a 24-9 wave of attack in the face of provocation, directly turning the game around. After facing the provocation, Butler played very resolutely, and almost every ball on the offensive end would burst inside, either creating a foul to stand at the free throw line, or bursting inside to take away 2 points. In general, Butler's provocation aroused Butler's desire to win. To borrow a phrase from Green: "You have to know when to speak and with whom, Butler blasted Grant Williams, and he's off now." ”
Of course, fearless provocation is just a microcosm of Butler's toughness. Another reason for the Heat's success is that Butler is very selfless and even more sincere with his teammates. I don't know, have you noticed that the Heat have never had any contradictions since the beginning of the season, whether on or off the court, the Heat team has only one goal, that is, to win. Even if you make a low-level mistake on the court, even if you have a defensive leak on the court, even if you don't score on an empty basket on the court, Butler never blames his teammates, but Butler will give encouragement to these players who make mistakes. It is no exaggeration to say that in Butler we see the temperament of a real leader, which is too similar to the young James.
After winning G2, the Heat have a 70% chance of qualifying. At the beginning of the season, no one believed that the Heat could play a black eight, and the Heat finished it. In the second round, without Hiro and Oladipo, everyone agreed that the Heat could not beat the Knicks, and the result was that the Heat won again. Before the Eastern Conference semifinals began, almost all fans predicted that the Celtics would easily defeat the Heat, and now the Heat have a 2-0 lead. Again, Butler slapped the doubters with strength, proved that he was a superstar with strength, and proved with his ability that he was capable of competing for the championship even with the civilian team Heat.