The Miami Heat are looking like a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference, and Jimmy Butler may not even be the biggest reason for that. Butler has done what most expected of him, but the leap made by Bam Adebayo is the biggest story out of Miami.
That is clearly not lost on Butler.
Following Wednesday’s win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Butler was asked about the belief that a team needs two or three star players to win in the NBA. The reporter noted that the Heat are 20-8 despite having only “one star,” but Butler made sure to give Adebayo a shoutout.
Reporter to Jimmy Butler: "What do you say when they say you need a team of two to three stars and this team has just one star?"
Jimmy: "This is a team of one star? Who is that? Bam [Adebayo]?
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) December 19, 2019
Butler is averaging 20.9 points to go along with a career-high 6.8 assists and 6.5 rebounds per game. He is Miami’s best all-around player and certainly the most recognizable, but Adebayo has played an equally — if not more — important role. The third-year big man is having a breakout season with averages of 15.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.
The Heat currently have the third-best record in the East behind only the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics. Butler has been trying to tell people all season that they aren’t going anywhere, and he realizes he’s not the only reason for that.
