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Wednesday 13 May 2020 13:43, UK
Jimmy Butler's leadership and the emergence of a core of talented young players have propelled the Miami Heat to an excellent 2019-20 season, says Ovie Soko.
Miami Heat
Season record: 41-24
4th place in Eastern Conference
The Miami Heat, along with the Dallas Mavericks in the West, have been one of the biggest surprise packages of the season in terms of how well they have done. We have seen the emergence of a very strong core that they can build on in the future and they can be very happy with what they have achieved to this point and where they are as a team.
Jimmy Butler has found a home with the Heat. It's somewhere that he can be a leader and the team can get the maximum from him. Butler has been as important off the court as he has been on it. Whenever I talk about him, I tell people he is a guy that has a big impact in the locker room as well as on the floor - that's exactly what you want from a guy in a leadership role.
We're at a time when the NBA is losing guys like that. There just aren't as many in the league. In an age where there are so many one-and-done players coming from college to the NBA, Butler didn't leave Marquette until after his senior year. That extended time he spent in college has helped shape him into the leader we've seen him be in Miami this season.
I'm picking Butler as my player of the season for the Heat. You could make the argument for Bam Adebayo, who I'm naming Miami's most proved player. I've been surprised by how much Adebayo has expanded his game in such a short period of time. Having a 'big' with his presence on offense and defense really gives the Heat something to look forward to.
Rookie Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn have been terrific for Miami this season. They are both young, talented guys and I feel they've taken on Butler's attitude and swagger. Herro was a big-time recruit coming out of Kentucky but he has had a much bigger impact than expected. Nunn has been the biggest surprise of all - an undrafted rookie who has won three conference rookie of the month awards. He carries that chip on his shoulder - just like Butler.
All of this speaks to the Heat organisation going about their business in the right way. Having won championships relatively recently, they know what success looks like up close and personal. Erik Spoelstra has coached some terrific players during his tenure.
I think mutual respect flows through the Heat organisation and they've done a great job in identifying then developing the qualities that each individual player brings. That can be tricky to do when you are talking about bigger organisations and how they structure the team. It's very hard to have rookies and get them to buy in straight away to something so new to them. Look at how well Duncan Robinson has shot the three-ball this season. Another example of Miami identifying a player and putting him in a role where he can succeed.
Every player has bought into their given role this season. That's so important for an NBA team or any sports team. Watching The Last Dance, you see how every Chicago Bulls player bought into their role and they were able to win as a collective. That is essential if you want to sustain winning.
My favourite Heat game of the season? Their 117-116 overtime win over the Philadelphia 76ers. That was a terrific game with great performances on both sides of the ball. That game links to another thing that has been really impressive about Miami this season: their record in overtime games.
The Heat have been to overtime nine times this season and only lost once. For me, that shows their dogged, workhorse mentality that trickles down from Butler through the rest of the team. To consistently win overtime games, you need your guys to have that mentality to close those wins out and get the job done any way they can. We have seen the Heat do that. They have won games after coming from behind, they have clung on to narrow leads, they've eked out narrow wins at the free throw line.
Another thing I love about those overtime wins is that you see big performances across the board from different guys. That shows how much they are buying into the team concepts and their determination to get the job done. There is a lack of big egos on that team and it allows them to do well. There are times Butler is happy to grab the ball and take over but if Adebayo, Herro, Nunn or Goran Dragic is having a great game, you'll see him facilitate for them and help them do better.
The Heat also gave up Justise Winslow for Andre Iguodala in February. I don't think you'll know whether that decision has paid off until playoff time. You know what you're going to get from 'Iggy'. A big part of what he will bring is experience. As a veteran, he has always done a really good job of playing a supporting role, we saw that do that time and time again, most recently in Golden State.
The one negative on Miami's season has been their record on the road (14-19). That's an area for them to focus on improving. Consistency on the road is often the sign of a veteran team and typically younger teams struggle on the road a little bit.
But I'm confident that is something Miami will be able to work through as long as guys like Adebayo, Nunn and Herro continue to improve and move in the right direction.
